Forbidden Love
by Princess M-chan
Summary: Trunks= prince. Pan=servant. Pan+Trunks=Angry Gohan? And where does Ubuu fit in? Don't these people know that true love has no boundaries? Why is love so complicated? T/P, with bits of G/B
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer- I don't own Dbz. Hee, hee, it would be very amusing if someone actually tried to sue me......but don't get any ideas.....  
  
A/N- Yay! A T/P ficcie! I just love that couple. -^.^- Hope you enjoy!  
  
A young girl hurried through the crowded village full of peasants, while tightly holding on to a small paper bag. Her long black braid swung from side to side carelessly, as she tried to avoid bumping into anyone. Her dark eyes focused intently ahead on a small, broken down hut, which was where she was heading. She walked into it happily, and found her mother at the table. She was eating a piece of stale bread, which was supposed to be her dinner. It was a pathetic excuse for a meal, seeing how it didn't satisfy her appetite at all, but Gohan was recently fired from his job, and their money supply was very low. Videl looked up at her young daughter with a warm smile on her tired face.  
  
"Hi, Panny! How's your job?" Pan hugged her mother and took a seat next to her.  
  
"It's wonderful! I have to work in the kitchen all day, but all the other girls are so kind to me." Videl knew that Pan was very restless, and wondered how she survived being stuck in a kitchen all week long.   
  
"Sweetie, you don't know how much your father and I appreciate this. I know you hate housework, so it's really kind of you to help." Pan looked down at her lap, with a hint of a smile on her pretty face.  
  
"You know, I'm actually starting to enjoy it. Besides I have to help pitch in, so we'll be able to get some medicine for Grandma." For the past few weeks, Chichi had been very ill, but they weren't certain what caused it, because they couldn't afford a doctor. When Gohan was fired from his job, for unknown reasons, all hell had broken loose in the Son household. Guilty that she had been doing nothing to help, Pan had decided to get a job at the castle to help pay for food, the rent, but most importantly, her grandma's medicine.  
  
She opened up the paper bag that she was clutching earlier, and pulled out a few big coins. She grinned childishly as she saw the expression on her mother's face.  
  
"This is for the whole month, but I asked Queen Bulma if i could have it all right now. To my amazement, she actually agreed. She's very kind." The queen was the one who had hired Pan, even though no more servants were necessary. She was even kind enough to let Pan visit her family every Sunday, even if it was only for a short time.  
  
Videl smiled, tears of joy in her eyes.  
  
"Pan, this is wonderful. It's enough money for Chichi, it's more than enough. If you ever have a chance to talk to the queen, please tell her that I am eternally grateful." Pan smiled at her mother, glad to see her happy.  
  
"Alright, but I better go now. They are expecting me to help cook dinner. Tell Grandma, Father, and Uncle Goten that I love them, and will try to visit them as soon as possible." Videl nodded her head, reluctant to see her daughter leave.  
  
"Good-bye Panny."  
  
"Bye Mother, I love you." With that final statement, Pan left the house, hurrying to the castle, so she wouldn't be late. She entered through the large mahogany doors and bumped into a very flustered Marron. Pan didn't know her very well, but recognized her as a maid.  
  
"I'm sorry," they both said at the same time, causing laughter.  
  
"I should have been watching where I was going. You see, I'm kind of in a hurry." Marron nodded her head.  
  
"Yeah, so am I." All of the sudden, her light blue eyes widened in recognition.  
  
"Are you Pan Son?"  
  
"Yes, why?"  
  
"The queen wanted me to deliver a message to you. She says that one of her maids has left, and she wants you to take her place. If you agree, you must hurry to the kitchen, and help serve dinner." Pan was astonished. A maid's job paid so much. She thanked Marron and ran down the hallway.   
  
The hallway itself was a beautiful place. The walls were designed with delicate gold patterns set against a pure white background. The thick, plush carpet was unbelievably soft, and gave one the impression that they were walking on air. Along each wall, there were fascinating antiques.   
  
She slowed down, as she came closer to a small door. It led her straight into the kitchen, where a lot of girls were running around, making sure everything was absolutely perfect. They didn't want the king to get mad at them, he had such a terrible temper. Pan waited patiently as the other servants added the finishing touches to the meal. She was actually looking forward to her new job. She had never really met the royal family. Queen Bulma was the only one she had ever seen, or talked to.  
  
Finally, the meal was complete, and Pan was told to carry out the first course. She was kind of nervous. Pan was never really graceful, and it would be so embarassing if she tripped or dropped something. She opened the door, trying to balance the tray of food in one hand. The dining room was very wide, and in the middle was a very large table, since they often had guests. Today, it was only the four Briefs, and Pan finally saw them for the first time.   
  
King Vegeta was rather short, but his tall, unruly black hair made up for that. All the peasants always talked about what a great ruler he was. He was frowning at the moment, or maybe he always looked like that. Pan wasn't so sure. Next to him sat the queen, whom everyone knew and loved. Across from the queen was the well-admired Princess Bra. Pan had never seen her before, but everyone always talked about her beauty and kindness. Indeed, she was very beautiful. She greatly resembled the queen, but she was younger and more innocent-looking. Her wide cerulean eyes were warm and happy, and her beautiful aqua hair, that she obviously inherited from her mother, was twisted into an elegant bun. Pan wasn't interested in clothes much, but the dress Bra was wearing was so exquisite, it made her want to be a princess, just so she could own it. She turned her gaze to the person sitting next to the princess, and her eyes slightly widened. He was the most handsome guy, she had ever seen in her life. She mentally smiled. So this was the Prince Trunks that all the girls went crazy over. Well, she certainly could not blame them. He had silky lavendar hair, that kept falling into his face, covering up his eyes. His eyes were a deep blue, with hints of turqoise. She wouldn't mind being lost in them forever. She quickly scolded herself for thinking such thoughts. It was however hard to stop, because he had on such a cute expression at the moment. He looked bored to death, giving him a child-like appearance, and it greatly amused Pan.  
  
She stopped staring at them and served their food. She smiled at them momentarily before hurrying out of the room. She blushed before she exited as she saw the prince smile back. He seemed so kind. Pan wished that she would be able to get to know him better, but that would never be allowed. As if to demolish the little hope she had left, she remembered something that her father had told her a few years ago.  
  
  
A/N- So, how was it? Good? Bad? Boring? Let me know! I love reviews! -^.^- I'm so desperate, I'll even accept flames. Ok, this chapter was kinda boring, but I promise it'll get much better later on. So please don't stop reading, and give my story a chance. Well, if anyone is even reading this far, I would just like to say, that I hoped you enjoyed this chapter. Byez! ^_^ 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer- Do I have to repeat myself?  
  
  
  
*******************Flashback*********************  
  
Pan was in the kitchen, making dinner, because her mother was feeling tired. Just then her father came in with a serious, slightly happy expression on his face. She glanced at him curiously, but chose not to ask about it.  
  
"Hi, Father."  
  
"Hi, Panny."  
  
"How was your day?" He sat down at the table and rubbed the back of his neck.  
  
"Well, a lot of things happened. Panny, come here, please." She obediently sat across from him, waiting for him to explain.  
  
"You remember Ubuu, right?" She quickly scanned her memory and recalled a small dark boy she used to play with as a child. He was very kind, and they had lots of good times together. However, when King Vegeta became ruler, there were more job offers, and Ubuu's father got a job at the palace. They were forced to move to the castle, although Ubuu's younger siblings often came for a visit.  
  
"Yes...why?" Gohan took a deep breath.  
  
"Well, I know your kind of young to be thinking about marriage but..." Pan rolled her big brown eyes. She was sixteen years old and half of her friends were already married, but, then again, she was in no hurry.  
  
"I was able to talk to Ubuu's father today, and he said he would be honored if you would marry his son. It would mean a lot to your mother and I, also." Gohan added, noticing the shocked expression on Pan's face. She opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't find the right words to say.  
  
"I mean, it won't be until your twenty, but Ubuu and you are so close, and I trust him more than anyone I know. He always had feelings for you, Panny." Pan frowned. He liked her? He wanted to marry her? She never knew he felt that way. As a matter of fact, she always felt that their relationship was more of a brother-sister type. What would she do? He liked her, and he was so sweet, she could never hurt his feelings. Her parents, and Ubuu's parents, if she refused they would all be so disappointed. It wasn't like she knew any other boys anyways.  
  
Pan looked up and forced a smile. She wasn't against this idea, but at the same time, she felt her heart break.  
  
"Well, Father, your right. I am too young to be thinking about these things, but I'll think about it when the time comes, and then I'll make the right choice." Gohan smiled happily and gave his daughter a hug.  
  
"Yes, I know you'll make the right choice."  
*************************************************  
  
Pan frowned. She had forgotten all about that promise, and her father had never mentioned it again. Her twentieth birthday was in a few months. Marron interrupted her thoughts by handing her a desert tray.  
  
"What are you thinking about?" She queried in a curious tone.  
  
"The impossible," She replied, earning a strange look from Marron. Pan ignored this look, and carried the tray out to the table.  
  
Bulma was talking happily to Vegeta, althought the king seemed more interested in the food. Bra was idly playing with her food, while chatting to Trunks about something or another. When she entered, they all looked up in suprise as if seeing her for the first time. This greatly confused the poor servant girl, because she had just entered a few minutes ago. She set down the tray on the large table and served them, trying not to notice their stares.   
  
The royal family watched in interest as the poor girl served them their desert, and struggled to lift the tray that was now filled with dirty dishes. After a while, she succeeded and slowly staggered towards the door. They all waited until the girl was safely out of hearing-distance until they started to talk.  
  
"Who was that?"  
  
"She seemed nice."  
  
"She was pretty."  
  
Bulma chuckled at her family's suddden outburst.   
  
"That was Pan Son. Her family is having economical problems, so when she came to the castle begging for a job, I just couldn't refuse."  
  
"Son? She is related to Kakarott?" Vegeta asked in a surprised tone. Bulma nodded.  
  
"The Son's are having economical problems?" Trunks queried. Bulma sighed, her eyes filled with sympathy.  
  
"Yes, well, you see....It all started when Goku, or Kakarott, mysteriously disappeared. Poor Chichi was heartbroken and fell ill, so Videl had to quit her job and take care of her. Then, Gohan got fired and he is currently looking for a job. So, basically, the only one's with jobs are Pan and Goten, who is a carpenter." Bra looked down solemnly.  
  
"How terrible....." Bulma frowned at the family.  
  
"So, you must be very kind to her, and Vegeta if I ever see you ordering her around rudely, you will be in big trouble." Vegeta grumbled something unhappily, but she knew that he would respect her request....well, demand.  
  
------------------- The Next Morning--------------  
  
Pan walked down the hallway tiredly. She was up all night, and the night before. She just couldn't sleep, she was.....homesick. She hated to admit it, but she knew that it was true. She was worried about her Grandma, and she missed her Grandpa. It just wasn't the same without her cheerful family around. Pan closed her weary eyes and collapsed against the wall into a dead faint.  
  
A/N- Sorry, it was so short. I'll try to update this weekend, but...uggh! Darn school! :p  
*Sigh* Well, thanx to TrunksPan-Luver4evr, DragonClaw, jackie, Lady Tomboy, and Leena Makuo for reviewing. I'm sorry if I forgot to mention a name. It says that I have 8 reviews, but I can only see 5. Well, anyways, thanx to everyone who reviewed! -^.^- 


	3. Chapter 3

A/N- I am soooooooooo evil! I know, I know, I haven't updated for like two weeks. You know I'm usually pretty good at updating. Maybe it's because of school, or friends, or my major crush......But let's not go there....*Ahem* So, well, I hope you enjoy chapter three, and once again, I apologize for not updating.   
  
  
Pan awoke to find a dark face looking down at her curiously. She arose from the ground, her head throbbing in pain.  
  
"Where am I?" She muttered slowly to the young man in front of her. All of a sudden, she blinked again and stared at the man.  
  
"Ubuu?!" She shrieked happily to her old friend. He laughed softly and pulled her into a large hug.   
  
"I was wondering how long it would be until you noticed." Pan pulled back and looked up at him.  
  
"I remember my father telling me that you worked here now. As a guard, right?" He nodded and continued smiling at her, a peaceful expression on his face.  
  
"You've changed, a lot. But I knew it was you. Why were you collapsed on the ground? Just tired?"   
  
"You could say that," she said nonchalantly. He nodded and stepped closer to her.  
  
"Pan, you'll be twenty soon. Have you decided, yet?" Her eyes widened, the memory entering her mind once again.  
  
"I don't know," Pan replied slowly, trying to avoid his eyes. She felt his hand gently cup her chin and pull it up so that she was facing him. His dark eyes stared into hers intensely.  
  
"Pan, I....." Ubuu started to say, as he moved closer to her. She pulled away nervously, feeling uncomfortable.  
  
"Ahem!" Pan and Ubuu turned their heads to see the prince staring at them, looking rather embarassed.  
  
"I um...hate to interrupt, but mother has some errands for Pan," he said apologetically. Ubuu nodded and walked away, smiling at Pan before he left.   
  
Pan collapsed aginst the wall, starting to feel dizzy. So many things have happened lately. It was hard to explain, but Pan was more confused than ever. She knew she didn't love Ubuu, not like that. Not like they all wanted her to. He was merely a friend, a very close friend. There was no way, she could ever marry him. But her father would be so disappointed. She felt a tear run down her cheek. Her life wasn't at all how she wanted it to be. She wanted happiness, she wanted her grandpa, she wanted true love. Of course, she could have married Ubuu, but it would be a one-sided love. It wouldn't be fair to both of them.   
  
Pan jumped in surprise as a hand gently touched her shoulder. She found herself staring into a pair of eyes, dark blue with speckles of turquoise, deep and compassionate, soft and caring. She found herself being magnetically drawn to those eyes, but quickly stopped herself. It was the prince. She sighed and pulled herself up.   
  
"I'm sorry," She said softly. He shook his head, as if it was no problem.  
  
"I don't think mother will mind. It's not like she has anything important for you to do. Anyways, I couldn't help but notice.....you look troubled. Is there anything I can do to help?"  
  
"Probably not, but thank you for asking," Pan said gratefully. He flashed her a smile and walked away, still worried.  
  
Pan watched him walk away and the warm feeling she had felt while he was around, slowly faded away into sadness and distress. She went to find the queen to ask about the errand.  
  
The maple doors that led into the queen's room were large with beautiful engravings carved all along. It was lovely, and Pan knew the queen must have treasured it, because she had the maids polish it twice a day. Pan knocked on the door, and opened it as she heard a response. She found the queen sitting in a comfortable looking rocking chair with a novel resting in her lap.  
  
"Hello, Pan," she said warmly.   
  
"Hello, Your Majesty. The prince said that you had errands for me?" The queen nodded.  
  
"Yes, you see, my daughter, Bra, is very restless and likes to wander into town every now and then. However, this isn't the safest thing for her to do, seeing how she is the princess. I was wondering if you could accompany her. Her bodyguard is sick, and I don't think it will be much trouble, since I had her dress up in plain clothes, and such." Pan remembered the young girl from dinner the other day. She seemed very nice, and Pan couldn't think of a reason not to go. Who knows? She might even bump into her mother or father.  
  
"I'd be happy to accompany the princess," Pan stated. Bulma smiled.  
  
"I knew you would be. Now run along, the princess is down by the front doors waiting for you." So Pan, left the room, wondering what a day in town with the princess might lead to.  
  
  
A/N- YAY! Finished! Well......It was majorly short...I'm so sorry! Please forgive me! Hehe, I wonder what might happen while they are in town. Who knows, maybe they'll bump into someone.........Well, not like I would tell you what's going to happen. ^_^ Thanx to everyone who reviewed!!!!!!!!! This would include.....Lady Tomboy, Storm Dragon, Sailor Tsunami, Yokiko Pan, k.b., Jac'Kee, Buggzers, Raven Hino, Panchan, Jess, Amatsu Mikaboshi, sugar~, and Mii-chan. Ya'll rock!!!!!!!!! ^_^ 


	4. Chapter 4

A/N- I would have updated earlier today, but I was gone all day. Hehe, sorry. ^_^() I only have 36 reviews L . Actually, that's not so bad, I just feel like complaining. Well, I promised to update at least every other day and I plan to keep my word. Go me! ^_^ So here's chapter 3, hope you enjoy!

Pan rushed down, not wanting to keep the princess waiting. However, as soon as she saw the girl, she shook her head. The queen must have been crazy, letting her daughter out. Although Bra's beautiful hair was covered with a dark shawl and her outfit was very plain and simple, she still had the grace, beauty, and that certain aura of a princess. It was just too obvious.

"Hello," Bra said perkily, upon seeing the girl. Pan sighed, she even _sounded_ like a princess. 

"Um, princess-" 

"No," Bra interrupted. "Please just call me Bra, I hate being formal."

"Err…ok, Bra. I think this might be a bad idea." Bra frowned at Pan.

"What makes you say so?" She queried with a hint of authority in her voice.

"Well, it's rather _obvious_ that you are the princess," She replied quietly, not wanting to upset the other girl.

"Nonsense! Now, let's go, Pan. I'm getting so impatient." Pan sighed reluctantly, but nodded her head in defeat. If the princess were anything like her mother, she would _not_ give up easily.

The two left the castle, venturing into the town via the dusty, red path. Pan stared at her feet, watching the dust collect into small clouds and float back down, staining her shoes. The day was extremely pleasant, and it was noticeable that autumn was approaching. The trees that towered over the path like giants were slowly losing leaves, and there were various colored leaves scattered around. The wind brushed past them swiftly, seeming almost as impatient as Bra. It swept across the path causing small dust storms. 

It was a nice day to be outside, but Pan still feared the safety of the princess. Growing up in the town, she knew that it was not a safe place to be, especially, if you were young, beautiful, and unaccompanied. She, herself, was almost attacked once. If it weren't for her Grandpa, she would have been in trouble. Grandpa…I miss him, she thought sadly. But it was no use, he was gone, maybe lost, and he would never be found. Bra's voice broke into her thoughts, as the two continued walking.

"Is it any farther?"

"No, only a few more minutes, or so, and we should arrive there." Bra nodded, as they, once again, seeped into silence.

"Bra? How come your mother didn't get your brother to bring you to town? It most probably would have been easier."

"Oh, Didn't you know? He's ill."

"That's strange. He was the one who told me that your mother had errands for me."

"Well, I may have exaggerated a bit. He said he wasn't feeling well earlier this morning."

"Oh." The atmosphere got a little heavier and the silence grew suddenly noisy as they entered the large, busy town. Everyone was bustling around, like bees in a hive, it seemed they all had a particular task. Bra squealed happily and ran forward, apparently delighted to be around other people. Pan sighed as Bra tripped over a man's foot. This would be a _long_ day.

She ran over and helped the princess up.

"You have to be careful. Some people in this town are _very_ unfriendly, and most of them have things to do. I advise you not to interrupt them," Pan whispered fervently, although the princess didn't seem to be listening. The princess was looking ahead at someone, a young man, or so it seemed. Throughout the entire bustle, Pan had trouble seeing, but the princess, who was slightly taller than her, had her eyes locked intently ahead. As the man came closer, Pan shrieked in delight and ran ahead.

"Goten!" His eyes widened in recognition at the young girl pushing herself through the crowd.

"Pan!" He yelled back happily, pulling her into a large hug.

"I haven't seen you for ages! How's castle life?"

"Pretty nice, if you don't mind cleaning up all the time."

"Yeah, I suppose. So, have you talked to Ubuu lately?" He asked teasingly.

"Actually, I have."

"Oh," he said, his expression becoming more serious. "Have you made a decision, Panny?"

"Goten, I don't want to marry him. I don't love him, and he's just a friend to me. When he tried to kiss me, I had the most uncomfortable feeling."

"Wait a second, he tried to kiss you?! The nerve of that guy! He had no right, trying to kiss a young girl like you! Why I ought to-"

"Goten! I'm not a baby anymore, as a matter of fact, I'll be twenty soon!" Pan yelled angrily.

"Heh, heh, yeah, I guess I overreacted a bit. Say, why don't you come back to the house? Mom is feeling a whole lot better. The doctor says that she's feeling ill because of stress and depression, but the medicine helps a lot."

Pan was about to consent, but when she heard a loud scream, she stopped.

"Oh no, Bra!"

"Who?" Goten asked with a confused look on his face.

"No time to explain. Hurry!" They rushed through the crowd, and found Bra pushed against the wall of a store. Three large men surrounded her menacingly, and Bra looked ready to faint. 

As the crowd watched one of the men shove Bra roughly, Pan felt Goten tense up angrily. She watched in horror as her uncle heroically walked up to the men and started to beat them up pretty good. Meanwhile, Pan realized that this would be the perfect opportunity to save Bra. But before she could react, her uncle had already picked up the princess with such tenderness, that Pan knew better than to interrupt. 

A/N- Ok, a lot of reviewers have been complaining about my short chapters, but this chapter is almost 4 pages long! So if anyone complains, I will have no other choice than to take out my keyboard of doom!!!! Mwahahahah!!! Anyways, this chapter pretty much had nothing to do with Pan and Trunks, as a matter of fact, Trunks wasn't even in it. But I have a few ideas up my sleeve, so don't worry. There will be some T/P stuff in the next chappie. Well, not much action yet, but maybe in the chapter after that. I don't know yet. Anyways, thanks to DELILA, Lady Tomboy, Fox_Demon, LoNely*PaN, Yokiko Pan, Panchan, Solphie, zombie v, Jac'Kee, kiawtha, and Lita for reviewing! 


	5. Chapter 5

A/N- Sorry, I took so long to update. You see, I had the whole thing all typed up but then I lost it! I was sooooo annoyed because I was supposed to be studying and instead I did this and then I went and lost it. Well, the only good thing that came out of this is the fact that I got a 100 on my test. ^_^ So here's chapter 5, hope you enjoy! (And this time, I better not lose it, Grrr…)

Pan stood nervously in front of the king and queen's door wondering if she would dare enter the room and explain what had happened to their dear daughter. After staring at the engravings on the door for a few minutes, she finally gathered up some courage, and knocked boldly on the door, praying to not get in trouble. She heard a gruff reply and ventured in, feeling the heat of the gigantic fire that was slowly burning, wash over her and slightly calm her nerves, seeing how the brightness prevented her from seeing the couple.

"Um…well, you see. We were in town and I saw my uncle…so I went to greet him and I thought Bra was behind me, and then I heard a loud scream, so I turned around and Bra was getting beaten up by these large men so my uncle saved her and we decided she should stay at our place because she was feeling bad, probably from the shock…" Pan blurted this out hurriedly, thinking that if she got punished she would simply blame Goten.

There was a large period of silence; the only sounds to be heard were the crackling of the fire and the soft creaks of the rocker as it gently swayed back and forth. Suddenly, the creaks stopped as the queen gracefully rose from her chair. The king remained in his armchair, facing the fire in silence, but the queen walked over to Pan.

"Well, it was good of you to let her stay here. I doubt that she would have been able to take the journey back to the castle. Please be sure to thank your uncle next time you see him."

"Y-You're not mad?" She stuttered in a relieved tone.

"Of _course_ not," Bulma answered, smiling warmly. "There was nothing that you could have done. But…if you don't mind, I have a favor for you."

Pan nodded.

"Well, I'm sure Bra has told you about the prince being sick. I was wondering if you could take a tray up to him."

Pan nodded again and briefly curtsied before leaving the room in silence.

She blinked her dark eyes repeatedly as she tried to adjust to the dim hallway. Pan went to the kitchen and grabbed the tray, and as she strolled down the corridor, she realized that she had no idea where the prince's room was.

Luckily -or maybe not- she saw Ubuu coming towards her with a happy grin in his face.

"Hello, Ubuu. I'm glad to see you." She started.

"I'm glad to see you, too." He said warmly, trying to put his arms around her. In a state of panic, she shook her head, gesturing towards the large tray she held in her arms. He nodded submissively.

"Actually, I wanted to know where the prince's room is located," she explained. Ubuu raised an eyebrow with a protective look in his eyes, but he did not query her.

"Up the stairway, and two doors to the left," He replied with a trace of resentment in his deep voice.

Pan thanked him and was about to leave when he stopped her.

"Pan, how would you like to come with me to the celebration this weekend?"

"What celebration?" She inquired.

"The king and queen are holding a ball this Saturday night, didn't you know?" She shook her head.

"Anyways, I would love to have you come with me." She sighed, a ball at nighttime. She imagined blissful couples dancing under the moonlight. Twosomes walking down the shore of a lake holding hands. Large amounts of festivity, and in the middle of it all, Ubuu would be trying to make a move on her. Pan shook her head disgusted as the happy thoughts faded away.

"Well, um…I'll think about it," She replied, knowing that there was nothing to think about. Ubuu smiled gratefully, and seeing that there was nothing left to say, he walked on dutifully.

Pan hurried up the stairway, grasping the fact that she had wasted a lot of time. She approached the door, and skillfully holding the tray on one hand, she knocked. Hearing no response, she went ahead and opened the door, assuming that the prince was asleep. Pan was indeed very shocked when she entered the room and it was…empty? 

Setting down her tray, she observed her surroundings in interest. In the middle of the room, there was a large blue oriental rug. She stepped on it and felt the softness underneath her feet as she sunk into the gentleness. The rest of the floor was made up of strong, sturdy wood, the color of honey. There was large bed off to the side with a dark blue silk coverlet. Large pillows that made you feel sleepy just by looking at them were scattered across the bed, hiding the headboard from view. There was a fireplace to the right with logs of wood stacked inside, and gathered around it were enormous chairs that looked comforting. A few feet away from the fire were a grand chiffonier with a floor-length mirror and a large desk with few papers spread across it. It was an amazing room, large yet cozy. 

She stood, unaware of the sound of the door opening and footsteps nearing her. As a hand softly touched her arm, she slightly jumped and spun around to find Prince Trunks laughing.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Pan forgave him, but then realized that she should probably be apologizing also.

"I'm sorry, too. It's probably a bit odd entering your room and finding someone else in it. The queen sent me up with a tray."

"Oh, yes, she told me that she would send me up a tray. Well, no matter, I already went down to the kitchen to grab some water."

"Really? I don't recall seeing you on the way up." Trunks nodded, and moved his head closer to hers.

"That's because I used a secret passageway," he whispered.

"A secret passageway?" She repeated, wondering if he was just kidding or really telling the truth. However, all she could think about was how much cuter he was close-up.

"Yeah. Would you like to see it?" he asked slowly. Pan's eyes glinted mischievously as she felt her old, adventurous self try to rise out of the barrier that she kept it in. Her head said she shouldn't fool around and that she should get back to work, but her heart protested.

'Why would you want to work when you could go on a little adventure with a handsome prince? It's just like those fairytales that you used to love.' Pan decided to go with her heart and she readily unlocked the barrier as she let her real self float out.

"Sure, why not!" She said, giggling spiritedly. Trunks smirked, looking very pleased with her answer.

"Then come this way, Madame." He said courteously while taking her hand. Pan had expected the prince to be quiet, but in reality, he was probably as crazy as her. He opened the door of his chiffonier and pushed aside his clothes. In the back, Pan was delighted to see a large passageway that led into a hole in the wall

"Why, it's just like Narnia!" She exclaimed.

"Shh…I'm the only one who knows about this besides from you and I plan to keep it this way." He whispered, his soft breath caressing her cheek. Pan nodded, as she began to feel light-headed and followed him into the hole.

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Meanwhile, Ubuu, who couldn't help but wonder why Pan wanted to know where Trunks' room was, decided to listen on to them. He walked up to the door silently, knowing that if he got caught he might get in trouble.

He heard two voices talk softly to each other. One that he quickly recognized as his beloved and the other, which was obviously the prince's. They talked softly, occasionally raising their voices. Then Ubuu heard lots of giggling and a large cry of pleasure. He walked away disgusted, not knowing what all of this meant, but he did know one thing. Gohan would definitely hear about this.

A/N- *Gasp!* No, Ubuu, don't tell! You've got it all wrong! *Sigh* You know your crazy when you start arguing with your own story plot, but…oh, well! ^_^ I wanted this to happen because…Well, anyways, this was a short chapter but it took a looooooong time to type. Actually, it's 3 pages long, but on ff.net everything looks shorter for some reason. This chapter was really fun to write, so I hope you enjoyed it. Yah, I know Narnia probably wouldn't exist, but…. Just pretend it did. For those of you who don't know, Narnia is a series of book. Very good, you should read it.^_^ Anyways, thanks to everyone who reviewed!

Kiawtha- Yah, that would be kool. To watch our stories on TV, Hehe…

NaraChan- This chapter wasn't really long. Sorry to disappoint you. I'll try on my next chappie.

PanChan- Yah, I will probably add some GB, maybe I'll make a side story later…..

Mii-chan- Maybe, a U/M. Who knows? That might make the plot a bit more interesting.

qUeErMissy- Hehe, thanks. I can't wait to add some T/P action. BTW, I like your pen name. Hehe…reminds me of myself.

Zombie V- Lol, calm down. I promise I won't stop updating this story. Unless, I like die or sumthing…..

Fox_Demon- Wow, that was so nice. I feel extra special now. ^_^ I'm sure you'll do okay on your ficcie. If you want to know how to put a fic up, just send me your e-mail address and I'll send you the info. ^_^

Lady Tomboy- GO GOTEN, GO GOTEN! Hehe, we can always count on him. Thanx for reviewing again!

artimus cangee- Short? Short?! Grrr….Well, actually, it was pretty short, Hehe. I'll try to make my next chapter longer.

Solphie- Aww….a patient reviewer! What a rare find! Just for being so patient, I'll give you a cookie! ^_^ Oh, and trust me you do not want to know what the keyboard of doom does. 

Once again, thanks to everyone who reviewed!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N- OMG! Exams! This week! NOOOOOOO!!!!!!! Which is why I'm going to get this chapter out while I can. If I don't update often this week, blame it on my teachers, but not me. Ok, now that you know, I'll stop blabbing and let you read. Enjoy chapter 6, ^_^

Pan followed Trunks through the dark passage, ducking her head so she wouldn't hit it on the low ceiling. He remained silent throughout the whole time and Pan wondered if he even remembered she was there. The darkness caused her from seeing his face, but she could tell he was deep in thought. She felt as if the walls were narrowing as looming shadows danced across the cold, stone walls.

"Prince Trunks?" She asked, trying to interrupt the silence, and hoping that her own voice would keep her from being frightened. Pan had always been a bit claustrophobic, and the tiny passage was not helping.

"Just Trunks," he said blankly. "I hate being formal."

Pan laughed.

"That's exactly what your sister said." Trunks grinned.

"Yeah, we're more alike than we like to admit." 

"Um…so where does this lead?" She asked curiously.

"Anywhere you want it to. But there's someplace special I want to take you. Just remember not to tell anyone, I want to keep this a secret." Trunks added, although he knew she could be trusted.

Pan smiled mentally feeling very special indeed, to be able to share a secret with the prince, a secret that even the royal family didn't know about, according to him anyways. But he never acted like a prince, he acted like a normal man, he was never arrogant and he _never_ acted as if she was below him, which she most definitely was. She knew she was getting closer to him, and even her father's kind remarks or harsh reprimands would not stop her from doing so.

--------------------------------------------------------------

"WHAT?!!!!" Gohan exclaimed. He jumped up from his seat and towered over Ubuu with a murderous look in his ebony eyes.

"Is this true?" He asked, through gritted teeth.

"From what I could hear," Ubuu said uncertainly as Gohan towered over him menacingly. And for once Ubuu was being honest, well…sure he might have exaggerated a _little, _but at least half of the story was true, or maybe less than half…But that wasn't the point, he was trying to look out for Pan, and no arrogant, know-it-all prince would get in his way.

Obviously Gohan was thinking the same thing. With pure hate written all over his face, he cursed-which he rarely ever did- and stalked out of the room. Videl, after a few minutes, followed him and tried to soothe him with gentle words. Ubuu left the empty room and went in to see Goten and Bra, hoping that the princess was feeling better. 

However, he never expected what he saw.

--------------------------------------------------

Pan stopped as she saw Trunks abruptly halt. By now, they were crawling on their hands and knees for, to Pan's dislike, the ceiling had gotten considerably lower, but she had trouble feeling afraid with the prince by her. His warm, soothing voice filled the gloomy emptiness as he found new ways to make her laugh and for a few minutes, she had forgotten all of her troubles.

Trunks crouched up and bowed his head as his swift hands undid some sort of lock. All of a sudden, the dim path lit up and Trunks momentarily glanced at her before slipping through a hole. Pan crept forward a bit and looked down to see Trunks waving at her. It was only a few feet down, so Pan jumped below without a second thought. 

She couldn't help but gasp as she witnessed the sight in front of her. It was so beautiful, the most beautiful place she had ever seen. It was an isolated little garden with glowing lights. Paths led all across the setting and along the walkways were beautiful flowers, from carnations to roses, from lilies to tulips, even some flowers that she had never heard of. In the middle of it all was a giant fountain made of marble and decorated with beautiful gems of many sorts. The water sprinkling out of it was unusually clean and sparkled teasingly at Pan as she used all of her willpower not to stoop down and take a sip. She saw her own reflection in this majestic water and behind her was Trunks with the most gleeful expression on his handsome face.

Pan turned around to face him. 

"It's beautiful," She whispered, at a loss of words, as she wondered why he would share such a secret with her, a servant girl. He nodded with a small smile and he gestured towards the trails.

"Would you like to take a walk?" She immediately agreed and they set off together.

"So I take it you aren't feeling ill anymore?" Asked Pan, finally tearing her eyes off the stunning scenery. He laughed.

"No, I suddenly feel much better." Pan looked up to glance at him, but as she noticed his intense stare, she quickly turned away with a faint blush.

She instead turned her gaze towards the plentiful roses with their delicate petals and variety of color; they were so gorgeous. 

"Can I please pick one?" Pan asked in a longing tone, knowing she must have sounded like a little child. But the prince simply chuckled and told her she could pick as many as she wanted. She rushed towards them, but in her haste she cut herself on a thorn.

"Ow," She complained, watching blood drip off her finger. "Roses are so pretty, but they would be so much better without the thorns. I don't think I have _ever _seen a rose without thorns."

Trunks handed her a handkerchief to wrap around her finger, but he kept gazing at her with that expression in his eyes.

"I know of one." He whispered as he stepped closer to Pan.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

"What are you two doing?!" Ubuu exclaimed. 

Bra was sitting on a chair, with Goten standing in front of her, and with their arms wrapped around each other they had been passionately kissing. They both looked up in surprise and as they saw Ubuu, they both blushed and moved away from each other.

"Err…hi, Ubuu," Goten said nonchalantly trying to cover the uncomfortable silence.

"What do you think you are doing? That's the princess, you moron! Get you dirty, low-class hands off of her!"

"Dirty, low-class hands? Look who's talking! Just because you work at the castle and get to wear some fancy metal suit doesn't mean you're above me!"

"Well, just because you saved Princess Bra from some drunk jerks with no brains doesn't mean you can kiss her like…like that!" The two glared at each other in disgust while Bra tittered nervously.

Finally, Ubuu broke off the glare and marched out of the room as he muttered quietly.

"Looks like Pan's not the only one trying to mix with the royal blood line…"

The couple glanced at each other in confusion.

"What was that supposed to mean?"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned forward, but hastily jumped away upon hearing his name being called.

"It's my mother," He said with much regret.

"I'm assuming you can get out by yourself," He said with a smile as he quickly left, leaving behind a very astonished Pan.

A/N- I am so cruel! Haha, I know ya'll wanted them to smooch, but just wait until the next chapter and I guarantee I'll have some action ^_~ Well, at least I made Goten and Bra kiss. That should satisfy all of you….hopefully. *Gulp* Well, thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. ^_^

Lady Tomboy- Haha, yeah, they can be totally dense. But that's what boys were made for! Kissing and being dense…Haha…..

Sugar Baby- Hehe, I hear that so much.

Yokiko Pan- Yeah, poor Ubuu. It's not his fault he's so….unlovable. But I'll probably make him hook up with Marron or something.

Krysis Cura Tryanny- Hehe, sorry, but I think it makes the story more interesting when you add some suspense to the story. But I can't blame you for complaining, I hate them too. :-P

Panchan- Yah, poor Ubuu, but like I said, I'll probably put him with Marron…who hasn't been mentioned for like the last 4 chapters, lol.

Solphie- I would 'wonder' but the 'wondering department' of my brain is broken, or maybe I was just born weird…..who knows? Wait a second, I'm wondering right now, aren't I? *becomes confused*

NaraChan- Lol, wow! Someone actually thought my chapter was long enough. Hehe, that's gotta be a first.

waterprincess- Thank you! I'm glad you like it. ^_^

Pannychan- Yay, everyone keeps telling me my stories good. I feel so special!

Zombie V- Iced cappuccino does strange things to people, lol. But hyperness is good…very good…

Sporky- Naughty Ubuu! Your right, no one likes a tattletale!

Fox_Demon- Yeah, I read a long story before that had lie 45 chapters and it's still going, but it's a really good fic so I ain't complaining, lol.

Princess of Light- Yah, I made poor Ubuu stupid and perverted, so naturally he thought they were….*ahem*

Hey- Really? That's strange….Well, sorry, I had no idea.

Pink-lemonade-86- Lol, hehe. Glad you like. ^_^

Thanx again for reviewing!!!!!!!!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N- Yay!!!!!!! Exams are finally over! And they were soooooooooooooooo easy! ^_^ ^_^ ^_^ Now, I can finally update, thanks for being so patient. ^_^

"Ubuu, I want you to go to the castle and tell my baby girl that she is to come back home, right away!" Gohan said calmly, although he had a strong urge to break something.

"Oh, Gohan," said Videl, disapprovingly. " I'm sure this is all just a big misunderstanding. Don't worry so much."

"Don't worry?! How can I not worry?! My only daughter is being used by some arrogant jerk!"

"Gohan, stop yelling! Can't you learn to trust our daughter?" Gohan closed his eyes and breathed heavily before finally calming down. Putting his hands on his wife's shoulders, he looked straight into her eyes.

"I guess I am overreacting a bit, but when it comes to you and Pan, I can't help but worry." He said sweetly. Videl smiled, as they got lost in each other's eyes. However, Ubuu, not wanting to witness _another _love scene, cleared his throat. 

"So, I suppose I should leave now?" He asked, already knowing the answer. Gohan- regaining his previous stern look- nodded gravely, but Videl looked out the window anxiously.

"I don't know it's rather late. Maybe he should wait until morning."

"Ubuu will be fine. He's strong and is carrying a weapon. As for Pan, she grew up in this town, roaming the streets pass midnight. I'm sure she'll be fine, nothing has ever happened before." Videl consented although her face was wrinkled with apprehensiveness. Ubuu pulled on his coat and walked into the cool night shouting a 'good-bye' over his shoulder. 

-------------------------------

Pan, who was still in the delightful garden, had found a small bench and was sitting upon it, reflecting upon the last few minutes. Apparently, she was very confused. Her dull life had unexpectedly become a jumble of confusing events, mixed feelings, and so much more, all in a matter of minutes. She never knew a boy could have such a strange effect on her emotions. 

And to make matters worse, Pan knew that no matter what her parents argued, she could not marry Ubuu. As he continuously tried to follow her and impress her, she felt their strong friendship slowly being reduced into nothing and she could barely even consider them close friends anymore. Refusing the marriage would disappoint everyone, but what was her father thinking?! How did he expect a nineteen (almost twenty) year-old girl to approve to marry one of her best friends whom she hadn't seen for ages? 

But then there would be another problem. Being poor and somewhat isolated from the townspeople, there was a very slim chance of Pan ever meeting her 'perfect match'. And although she was still young most girls were married at younger ages, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen… She didn't want to be alone for the rest of her life. What kind of living would that be? No one to talk to, no one to bicker with, no one to worry about, no one to love. And yet, as Pan continued to distress about being alone, one person came to mind…

As she heard a creak, she looked up, and as if by coincidence, Trunks was standing in front of her.

"There's someone here to see you," He said in a disgusted tone. A look of hurt flashed through Pan's eyes as she heard his aggravated voice.

"Okay," she said slowly. Trunks sensed she was upset and softened his voice.

"Sorry, it was that guard, what's his name, Ubuu? Well, he was being really rude, I guess it made me kind of angry." Pan smiled knowingly.

"Yeah, he can be so rude sometimes."

"Oh, yeah, that's right, I remember seeing you with him in the hall one day…."

"Yeah, and the jerk tried to kiss me!" Snapped Pan, still infuriated about that incident.

"Err…I'm assuming you don't like him?"

"Well, we used to be friends but…" For the third time that week, she was reminded of that certain memory. 

"But my father…" Pan started to explain, but for some reason she had trouble telling him.

"That's okay," Trunks said kindly. "I think I understand. Anyways, we better get going." Pan nodded and was trying to wonder how she could get back into the passage up in the ceiling, but Trunks took her arm and led her away.

"There's a quicker way. We might get caught, but it's less suspicious. I don't think your friend would like it if he saw you come out of my room." He said with a wink. Pan felt her face heat up, but Trunks was fortunately unaware to this.

He had let go of her arm and was now fiddling with the wall.

"This is the way I had used earlier. Although you probably noticed anyways," He stated. Pan nodded, she hadn't noticed though. How could she? Kami, Trunks was one confusing boy, acting as if nothing had ever happened. Maybe I was just dreaming, Pan thought. But she knew better. If it would have been a dream it would have been much more romantic- if possible- and there would have been a lot of kissing. She smirked mischievously. A whole lot…

"What's so funny?" Trunks asked. The wall slid open to show yet another passage. However, this one wasn't dark and narrow. It had lights lined across the walls in a horizontal line going on and on and as far as she could see. The stone floor was rather wet and the dampness arose into her thin shoes, freezing her weary feet. 

"Nothing," She replied answering his question, "Why is it so wet in here?" 

"The rain leaks through," replied Trunks briskly. Pan raised an eyebrow, wondering how in the world the rainwater could leak into the underground tunnel. But she quickly found out as they continued walking.

The long tunnel twisted and turned jadedly and not only that but it sloped upwards. Pan surveyed the ceiling and noticed small trickles of water streaming down onto the floor, and this answered her previous question. As they went on it got drier but much steeper. Soon, they came to a stop and Trunks pushed on the wall in front of them. They sauntered forward and as the wall slammed behind them, Pan noticed that it was a painting. Down the hall, they could see Ubuu pacing the hallway impatiently.

"And this, my lady, is where I have to leave you," Trunks said with a playful look in his eyes. Pan grinned and was about to retort but Ubuu came over and grabbed her arm. She yanked her arm out his grasp with a dismayed appearance on her face and looked over at Trunks for help. In spite of her yearning look, Trunks decided to keep out and simply bid them farewell.

As she watched her friend walk away, Ubuu stared at her with a defensive look on his face. 

"What do you want?" Pan asked rather bitterly, avoiding Ubuu's dark eyes. Ubuu, taken aback by Pan's harsh tone, almost forgot what he was there for. Until Gohan's angry face entered his mind.

"Your father wants you to come home right away."

"Why is that?" She asked suspiciously. 

"He just does. And you better hurry and be on your way. It's getting dark."

"Right. Well, won't the queen be upset if I just up and left?"

"She said it was okay." Sighed Ubuu, tired of all her questions. Pan glanced out the window before taking a small breath and walking towards the door.

"I'll see you later!" Ubuu called, but he got no reply. Pan had turned her deaf ears on him as her head filled up with thoughts about the prince. Ubuu stared at her retreating form, waiting for her to at least wave. But Pan walked on, and Ubuu stood in the hall with a sad, rejected look on his face.

A/N- Awww……Poor Ubuu. L I was so mean to the poor guy. I apologize for the short chappie. It's just I haven't been online for so long, I'm dying to read some new fanfics. Hehe. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I was planning to add some action, but it sorta slipped my mind. Sorry about that. There will probably be a little Ubuu/Marron in the next chapter, because I feel sorry for Ubuu. Anyhows, thanx to everyone who reviewed.

Solphie- You know, I never really thought about that…And your right, it would be weird, it's too perfect. But some things were just meant to be, I guess…..I dunno, anywayz, thanx for reviewing J 

Pannychan- Hehe, darn exams…

Z- Thanx, I'm glad you liked it! Yah, Haha, evil Ubuu, but I feel bad for making him so unlovable.

LoNely*PaN- See! Everyone hates the poor guy! Lol.

chibigoten124/SSJ3MysticPan- Hehe, I was born to annoy people. Seriously, I'm so good at it…

Pink-lemonade-86- Hehe, after reading your review, I tried to fix it in this chapter. So now we kinda know…kinda…^_^()

Pan- Will do!

Jess- ^_^

Essie da Princess of Light- Aww…Thanx for wishing me luck! ^_^ Trust me, I definitely needed it. LOL.

PanChan- Hehe, yup, mean, that's me. Thanx for the review.

Waterprincess- thanx!

Fox_Demon- Omg, I feel so special! Hehe, you're so nice. Anyways, glad you like my fic. But you should definitely read some more Dbz fics, there are some really great ones.^_^

Sporky- Hehe, it feels good to be worshipped. Wow, your probably the only one who blamed Bulma for interrupting them and not me, lol.

Gurlie Gal- Hehe, evil Ubuu…

Lady Tomboy- I am SOOOOOOOOOOOO evil. ^_^

TrunksPan-Luver4evr- I always try to make long chapters, but each time they get shorter..and shorter..and shorter….^_^()

Yokiko Pan- They will probably kiss the next chapter, of course, that's what I said last chappie…

NaraChan- Yupperz, G/B, T/P rock!

dragon agility- Hmm….colored font…interesting…

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! For reviewing!!!!!!!!!!! Cookies for everyone!!!!!!! *Giggles insanely*


	8. Chapter 8

A/N- Ok, your probably wondering why I haven't updated for over a week, and for once I have a good reason. My computer broke, yes it broke. Don't ask me how, because I have no idea, but it did. Actually, this wasn't much of a surprise, because my computer is at least ten years old. Anyways, we got a new one and it's sooooo fast and I'm happy because now I can download music videos and stuff. Hehe. Anyways, I'm sorry for the long wait, so I'll try to make up for it with a long chapter. But it's kinda hard to type when my dad comes in every five minutes to see how the new computer is working ^_^(). Well, I'll try my best. Hehe, enjoy the chapter.

Pan walked swiftly. The night was moist and thick fogs lay about her, swallowing up the darkness. She walked blindly ahead, eager to get home. Although she was familiar with the path and had walked here before many times, she couldn't help but feel a bit anxious. Something wasn't right, she could sense it in the air, something bad was going to happen, and she didn't want to be around when it did. Pan rushed forward, wondering if the small journey would ever come to an end. She felt as though she had been walking for a few hours, never reaching her goal, just wearing herself out. Pan gazed towards the sky. She could see the bright, full moon, throughout the dense fog and this gave her some comfort. The stars seemed so far and faint… I wonder why my parents want me home, she thought to herself as she continued walking, not knowing that she was being followed…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Meanwhile…~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Trunks wandered around the hallway, bored that he now had no one to talk to. But then he spotted Ubuu leaning against the wall, looking kind of sad. He walked over, not sure if he should tease the guard, or help him, but then another thought came into mind.

"Where's Pan?" he asked, not caring how nosy he sounded. Ubuu looked up with surprise, however, for one of the first times, he did not glare at Trunks.

"She had to go home. Her father wanted her." Trunks stared at Ubuu blankly before everything registered in his mind.

"WHAT?!" Ubuu blinked, looking at Trunks as if he was crazy.

"I said-"

"I know what you said! You made her leave? At night? By herself?!" Ubuu nodded.

"Are you crazy? Do you know how dangerous that is? A pretty girl shouldn't be walking to town at night." Trunks shook his head and rushed out the castle, leaving behind a _very_ bewildered Ubuu.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Pan smiled happily as she reached the outskirts of town, she was so close. Now, she started to run towards her house, forgetting how cold and fatigued she was. Reaching her small home, she softly knocked on the door. She squinted as the door opened and a wave of light washed over her. Her mother quickly ushered her in, and she stood drowsily in the warm room, totally content and carefree. That is, until her father came in.

"Pan Son," he said in a stern voice. She gulped seeing her father's expression. She knew she was in trouble.

"Yes sir?" She squeaked nervously.

"I am very disappointed in you." There was a long period of silence as father and daughter stared each other down, Gohan angry and Pan confused. After a small number of minutes, Gohan finally spoke up, noticing that his daughter was going to remain silent.

"I can't believe that you and the prince did…" He faltered for a moment, trying to find the right word, and for that split second Pan abruptly knew what he was talking about, or so she thought.

"Well, he said he wanted to show me! And I wasn't supposed to tell anyone because it was a secret and I have no idea how you even knew about it…And it was really beautiful Daddy, so I don't know why your so mad…" She stopped talking, however, as she detected her father's red, angry face, and she knew that he was on the verge of yelling at her. Thankfully, Videl put her hand on his arm as if trying to restrain him, and he calmed down a bit. Bit being the key word.

"Of course I'm mad Pan! Don't you see he was using you!"

"Using me? Oh, so I guess your _not_ talking about the secret room. Wait, then what _are_ you talking about?"

"The secret room?" Gohan asked vacantly. "No, I was talking about you and the prince doing…" His face turned crimson, but not from anger and suddenly Pan knew what he was really talking about.

"What! Daddy, I can't believe you! I would never, ever do anything like...like that! With someone that I scarcely know…I can't believe you thought that." Pan stared at her father with disgust written all over her face.

"But-But Ubuu said-"

"Ubuu? Oh, so you heard this all from Ubuu, did you? Well, guess what father? Ubuu is a jerk. All he wants to do is kiss me; seriously, he probably forgot everything he knows about me. And do you want to hear the truth? I don't love him! I can't even consider him a friend anymore, and before you ask, no! I refuse to marry him!" Pan snapped angrily, not caring if she was rude and impolite, she was only stating the truth. 

"I'm going back to the castle." She yelled, stomping angrily towards the door.

"But, Pan-" Videl said, knowing that the wild temper that Pan had inherited from her and Chichi would someday get her in trouble. And it didn't help that her father was so possessive of her.

"I'm going back to the castle." Pan sputtered irritably before slamming the door, making the whole house shake. Yeah, lots of trouble.

Pan couldn't believe that her own father thought so little of her. He didn't know, she would never do something like that with just any guy. No, she was going to wait for the right man. But her father, her father….She growled irritably as she left the diminutive village.

She continued tramping along enraged with the whole situation. However, her rage was quickly changed to horror as a strong arm grabbed her from behind. A large hand covered her mouth, preventing her from making any noise, and she was pulled into the deep forest. Her dark eyes scanned her surroundings and she noticed three large men, looking at her with hungry expressions. She also noticed the ground, scattered with bottles and bottles of beer. 

Pan, trying not to panic, got an idea. She made her body go limp in the man's arms, as if she had fainted. He let loose his tight grasp, seeming to be confused, and Pan took this instant as an opportunity to escape. She twisted away and scampered towards the road, screaming loudly. Now, she usually hated being the 'maiden in distress' but this was a definite exception. She shrieked as one of the guys grabbed her again firmly and carried her back to the woods, despite her kicking and screeching. He hit her on the head roughly.

"Shut up, this won't take long," He whispered, his breath thick with the smell of alcohol. Pan, despite the throbbing pain in her head, punched the man, and once again tried to flee. But once again, she was pulled back. The man hit her head again and threw her violently to the ground, as easily as if she was a rag doll. He kneeled over her, caressing her cheek.

"Now, now, there's no need to be frightened," He said in a mocking tone, while the other men cackled evilly. Pan had the sudden urge to puke; she knew what was going to happen. She knew that no one could save her. She cried out again desperately, but this time her voice was weak and hoarse.

One of the men ripped off her coat and she put up an arm in protest. He simply twisted it and Pan cried out in pain. Never before had she experienced so much hurt, so much fear. 

"Stop," she whispered feebly. But regretted it as she was hit in the head aggressively for the third time. She could sense blood running down her face, and she watched it fall to her now ripped dress, staining the fabric. Pan closed her eyes in defeat, she felt as she was going to faint. She inhaled deeply as one of the man started to suck her neck enthusiastically. This was so disgusting, so repulsive. But then she opened her eyes as the hands that were once roaming her body so ruthlessly disappeared. Staring ahead dazed and confused, she noticed a dark figure standing over her, unhesitatingly attacking the evil men that had caused her such torment. Her eyes fell shut and she could here anguished screams and bones crunching. The night fell silent as if nothing had never even happened and Pan felt herself being held in strong arms. But it wasn't in a possessive manner or endangering manner. She knew with much gratitude that this person had saved her life. 

"Thank you," She murmured in a barely audibly voice before falling into unconsciousness. The figure holding her smiled.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ubuu paced the hallway nervously. Now that the prince had mentioned it, he was a little worried about Pan. After all, she was going to be his fiancé. Or so he hoped. If she refused, Ubuu thought he might die. Not watching where he was going, he felt himself bump into a person.

"Sorry," he said, but his voice caught in his throat as he saw the girl in front of him. She was delicate and petite with a small face and large turquoise eyes. Her golden hair was piled on top of her head with a few dainty curls framing her face. Her face was flushed and Ubuu thought that he had never met a prettier woman in his life. 

"Sorry," He repeated in a choked voice. The beautiful angel smiled and shook her head.

"It's okay. I should have watched where I was going." She said apologetically. Ubuu climbed to his feet and pulled her up.

"My name's Ubuu," He stated, before realizing how stupid he must have sounded.

"Marron," She replied, showing no signs of ridicule. Instead, she smiled again, at a loss for words.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" Ubuu asked abruptly, even though he had just met her, even though it was past midnight, even though he was supposed to be marrying Pan. All of these thoughts and worries escaped his mind. He knew this was right.

"Yeah, okay," Marron said breathlessly, and the two walked off towards the garden hand in hand. Yeah, this felt too right to be wrong.

A/N- Aww...wasn't that cute? With Marron…and…Ubuu and…Marron and Ubuu…Well, I thought it was cute. Wow, Marron bumps into people a lot doesn't she? Lol. I know I was so horrible to Pan. I have never written something so…so…deep and frightening. Well, I thought it was deep and frightening. Now, I have to say, if you have no idea who rescued Pan your either stupid or really, really tired or something. Haha. Oh, I tried to make this chapter long. I thought it was pretty good, I mean…4 pages is nothing to scoff at. Okay, so thanks to everyone who reviewed. I would list all the nice people like I always do, but I want to hurry up and post this so I can go eat dinner. Yeah, I have an appetite to match Goku's. Hehe….Anyways, see you next chappie! ^_^


	9. Chapter 9

A/N- Enjoy…

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Pan opened her ebony-colored eyes and looked around wearily, almost afraid of what she might see. She sighed in relief as she noticed her surroundings. She was in a large bedroom, furnished with beautiful antiques and other expenses, so it was obvious that she was at the castle. Pan lay back on the huge bed, resting her tired head on the soft, velvety pillows. Although her silky, raven hair cascaded, rather messily, over her shoulders, and her once white dress was torn and muddy, she felt refreshed almost; all of the pain had left. The scrapes and cuts that she had received the previous night had vanished and the only thing that now plagued her was the aching feeling in her head. 

Pan sighed. She remembered little of what happened, but she did know one thing; Trunks saved her. Although it could have been any random stranger that just happened to be walking by at the right time, she just _knew _that it was Trunks. It had to be; she could feel it, in her heart. She smiled. Just thinking about him made her happy, and Pan had only known him for, what? Three or four days. This was insane; love was insane. She closed her eyes once again, having no intentions of going to sleep, but the adventures of the prior night had worn her out more than she had thought, and in a matter of seconds her eyelids met, leaving her in an intense slumber.

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"What?!" Videl looked at her brother-in-law with the most horrified expression on her tired face. "Are you sure? _Please_ tell me it's not true!"

"Relax, Videl. It's only talk, probably not even true. Besides even it is true, we can't just assume it's Pan," Goten said reassuringly, not really believing his own words. While wandering around town earlier in the morning, he had heard whispered rumors about a young girl raped by some drunken men. Feeling horror-struck, he had hurried home as fast as he could. Goten had known that Pan had left home late last night all alone and _very _angry. Goten also knew that Pan was weak and gullible when she was angry. 

Videl looked as if she might cry; clearly the soothing words had no effect on her. Her only daughter raped? And possibly dead? This was too much to handle. She wanted to run into her husband's comforting arms, however she knew this wouldn't be the smartest thing to do. Gohan was already worried and so close to having a heart attack and this recent piece if information just might trigger it. It was, without a doubt, better to wait, until she was sure of what had happened to poor little Panny.

"Goten, can you please do me a favor?" Hearing Goten's approval, she continued, her words dripping with worry. "I want you to go to the castle, right now, while it's still light, and see if Pan is okay. While your there, you can bring Bra back." For a moment, disappointment flickered in Goten's eyes, but was quickly replaced with determination. 

"Okay, I will." He left to find Bra and tell her the news. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Trunks opened the door quietly, cringing as it creaked. The last thing he wanted to do was wake Pan. When he saw her condition last night, he could have cried. It took all his strength to _not _kill those guys, although he did beat them up pretty well. 

He crept towards the bed and sat beside it watching Pan sleep. She really was beautiful. Her lovely black hair, that he longed to touch, flowed over her porcelain shoulders, a little untidy, but lovely nonetheless. Her creamy white skin contrasted with her dark eyes, which were closed right now. Trunks loved her eyes. They were large and mysterious, always seeing right through him. He could tell what she was thinking by staring into those eyes, they thoroughly portrayed her feelings. Anger, sorrow, kindness, warmth, fear…Her bright, cherry colored lips were set into a small smile. She must be having a good dream, Trunks thought to himself, I hope it's about me…He shook his head at his own selfishness and got up to leave the room.

As he walked towards the door, he heard her stir. Turning around, he saw her sitting up, rubbing her head, as if she was hurt.

"Are you okay?" Trunks asked softly, smiling inwardly as Pan jumped in surprise, her large eyes, even wider. When she saw it was only him, she calmed down a bit. She was still a bit jumpy about what had happened.

"Hi, Trunks. Yeah, I'm fine." She said softly, but then frowned. "But I wouldn't be if it weren't for you." 

"Yeah, well, I guess it's lucky that I came there in time, isn't it?" He grinned goofily, hoping to make her smile. But to his dismay she didn't.

"Yeah, but still…" Pan climbed down from the bed and walked over to where Trunks stood.

"Thank you," She said faintly. Her head tilted up to see his and Trunks was surprised to see tears forming at the corners of her eyes.

He gently pulled her into a hug, stroking her hair.

"It's okay," He whispered, not really sure what Pan was crying about.

"I was so scared," She murmured, her voice muffled against his chest. Pan blushed. She couldn't believe she told him that. She never, _never_ admitted to being scared, but somehow…Pan let loose the tears that she had been holding back since last night and sobbed into his shirt.

Trunks looked down at her with a calm expression, he felt sorry for her. It must have been terrible; she was so close to being raped. And he knew that she would never forget the terrible experience. He muttered comforting words, but he couldn't focus. All he could think about was the raven-haired beauty in his arms and how well there bodies fit together. He blushed immediately and turned to the wall, trying to concentrate on something else.

After a few minutes, Pan stopped weeping, except for the occasional sniffle. Trunks kept weaving his fingers through her hair, liking how it felt, but Pan didn't seem to mind. 

"You know, if someone came in, this might look wrong," Pan said, although reluctant to leave his arms.

"Yeah, I guess. But then…then… why does it feel so right?" He asked in an hushed voice. Pan lifted her head and looked at him in surprise.

"What do you mean?" There was a long period of silence as Trunks wondered how to explain, but finally he decided to just show her.

His head bent down and he hesitated for a moment, considering if this was right or not. But as he had just said, it _felt _right, and that's what really mattered. His lips met hers, softly and he thought he heard Pan gasp. And that's because she did. This was actually her very first kiss, unless you included what those brutes did to her last night and she most certainly did not. And it was even more amazing that this was _the prince _kissing_ her _of all people. This was a definite miracle. And another incredible thing about it was the _way_ he was kissing her, as if he really meant it. Soft, sweet, and longing, it was packed with love and Pan could feel it. When Trunks broke away from her, she almost whimpered. That's how great his kiss was.

Trunks smiled at Pan. She looked so flabbergasted, so astounded, yet at the same time, so happy. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips bright red, and she appeared a bit out of breath. 

"You look pretty. I should kiss you more often." Trunks said mischievously. Pan laughed lightly.

"I wouldn't mind," she said with a wink. Yawning widely, she leaned her head on his chest, momentarily closing her eyes. She glanced at him with one more joyful look before completely shutting her eyes and falling asleep in the prince's arms…_her_ prince's arms.

A/N- AWWWW!!!!!!!!! Wasn't that sweet?!!! Ok, on the count of three, everyone say "aww…" Ok…one…two...THREE! *Chirping of crickets can be heard* Ok, ok, so it wasn't that great. This is actually the very first time I have typed a kissey, mushy scene, so if it's not that great I apologize. Oh, yah, I know it's short, but at least they finally kissed. I actually finished typing this chapter on Tuesday, but it was late at night and I had to study. And on Wednesday, I didn't get home until _very _late, and yesterday was Halloween (obviously) and my friend had a party and me and like two other friends slept over and I left their house this morning at like eight and then we had to go somewhere so I just got home. Ok, anyways…. Thanx to Solphie, Kutie-Pan, Angel Eevee, Sporky, adbzfan2K03, TrunksPan-Luver4evr, Z, Sam, pink-lemonade-86, Fox_Demon, Essie da Princess of Light, Mii-chan, bella, Granny Adams, and Lady Tomboy for reviewing. 


	10. Chapter 10

A/N- Hey! Thanx for the nice reviews! ^_^ I love hearing what people think about my story. Anyways, for anyone who is interested, I redid my other story. It used to be called This is Just Not Right! (And now it's called Finding True Love) But I was reading it Friday and I noticed that I had made a lot of mistakes. So I completely redid it. If you read it before and liked, try reading it again. Personally, I think it's MUCH better…but anyways, here's chapter 10. Wow, I'm already on chapter 10, that is so kool!!!!!!!!!! Err…….

Pan once again awoke to the comfort of the cozy bed, the silken sheets nonchalantly covering her petite form. She stretched her body and looked around in ecstasy. She could certainly get used to this. Only one thing was missing…She smirked mischievously as she replayed the enchanting scene in her mind over and over. Who would have known that the prince was such a good kisser? She giggled to herself and hopped out of bed. She was missing a lot of work. Looking down at her tattered dress, she tried to decide on the most appealing excuse that would best explain her current condition.

A loud, booming knock startled Pan out of her reverie. Before she could react, the door opened, and Bra and Goten strolled in, appearing to be very worried.

"Hi! Long time no see," Pan said, giving Goten a hug and the princess a smile. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, for one thing I had to drop Bra off," Goten gave Bra an affectionate grin that she sweetly returned. "And also, I wanted to make sure my favorite niece was alright. Word on the street says that there was a young girl raped by some drunken freaks. And as if by coincidence, it happened about the same time that you left our house. So, is it true, Panny?" Goten queried, a stern look overcoming his handsome features.

"Yeah, it is," She hesitated, trying to defeat her strong urge to break down into tears. Bra and Goten gasped, shocked, even though they had expected it to be true. "But…but he saved me. Just when I was most scared, he came. Isn't that ironic?" Pan smiled, a faraway look in her ebony eyes.

Goten and Bra glanced at each other with the same puzzled expression.

"Who are you talking about, Pan?" Bra spoke for the first time since arriving.

"Trunks."

"So you're trying to tell me that my no-good, lazy, idiotic brother saved you?"

"Yup…"Pan sighed, looking like a love-sick puppy. Bra shook her head and Goten snickered at his niece's unusual behavior.

"So, Pan, are you going to the ball with Trunks?" Pan snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Bra in bewilderment.

"Ball? What ball?"

"You know, the ball. Well, maybe you wouldn't know. Anyways, there's to be a ball tonight. I'm surprised Trunks hasn't mentioned it." 

"Oh, wait. Now I know what you're talking about," Pan scowled. "I was so supposed to go with that jerk, Ubuu."

"Umm…I don't think you'll have to worry about going with Ubuu. We saw him up in the front with this blonde girl and they were looking _pretty_ cozy."

"What! That rude, obnoxious idiot! First, he keeps trying to make moves on me, then, he gets me in trouble with my father, and now! Now, he's cheating on me! That's just great! Well, then I guess I won't be going to the ball."

"No, don't say that. It's still a wonderful event. You should go anyways, even if you have no date. You can always dance with someone there. Just take the rest of the day off, Pan. You can take a rest and then, when time for the ball, you can borrow a dress and I'll do your hair and stuff for you." Bra planned, unaware of Pan's opposing actions.

"I don't think so, Bra…"

"Why not? It'll be tons of fun."

"It's just…"

"Pan doesn't like dressing up and stuff," Goten completed for her, rolling his eyes.

"What?!" Bra exclaimed, looking nearly horrified. "How can you not?"

"Well, it's not like I have anything fancy to wear, and my hair was always left in a ponytail or something. And I guess, I grew up as a tomboy."

"Well, Pan, tonight there will be no exceptions. You will go to that ball, and I will make you into a total girl. Besides, you want to impress Trunks, don't you?" Bra winked as Pan shot daggers at her uncle who laughed at her obvious embarrassment.

"Ok, Bra. I'll do whatever you say…"

"Yes!" Bra grabbed Pan and pulled her away from the room, leaving behind a very amused Goten.

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After Pan finished the bubble bath that Bra pretty much forced her to take, she stood in Bra's room, trying to adjust the over-sized robe that she was wearing.

"Okay, we only have two hours to get ready, so promise that you'll be cooperative." Pan nodded and Bra searched throughout her gigantic wardrobe, looking for the perfect dress for Pan to wear.

"Found it!!!" Pan heard Bra squeal. She walked over for a closer look, but Bra hid the dress behind her back.

"Not yet, I want it to be a surprise."

"Oh, alright."

"Now go sit over there." Pan meekly scampered over to the chair that Bra pointed to, not wanting to know what might happen to her if she refused to obey the stubborn girl.

"So, who are you going with?" Pan asked, as Bra began to brush her long hair, rather roughly. A large fit of giggles escaped from Bra's mouth as she started to blush uncontrollably.

"This might freak you out, but I'm going with your uncle."

"Goten? Why would you want to go with him?"

"Pan, are you blind?! Who wouldn't want to go out with him? I mean he's so kind and really cute. And, well, he's kinda naïve, but that just makes him even more adorable! And-" Bra started to giggle again, "And he's a great kisser!" Pan scrunched her eyes in disgust.

"Eww, Bra! Did you have to tell me all of that?" Bra laughed again, and Pan, despite the bizarre situation, found herself chortling, too. Maybe it was because of the anticipation of the upcoming ball, or maybe it was because of the merriment that Bra brought with her bubbly personality, but for some strange reason, Pan felt absolutely delighted, no worries clouding up her young mind, no regrets, no sorrow. She could most certainly get used to this.

After a long period of talking and laughing, Bra proudly stepped away from Pan and held up a mirror.

"There! I'm finally done with your hair."

"Wow, Bra, this looks amazing… Thanks…" Her thick dark hair was lightly curled and elegantly piled on her head. Already, a few stubborn curls fell about, framing her small face and accentuating her slender neck. 

"Hehe…I'm glad you like it. Okay, now for the dress." Bra handed Pan the most beautiful dress she had ever seen in her life. It was a silky pale blue with hints of silver whenever the light shimmered on it. It was floor length and short sleeved and had a dark silver sash slightly above her stomach. 

"Wow…this is so beautiful," Pan breathed in astonishment.

"I knew you'd like it!" Bra chirped happily. "Now hurry up and try it on!" Pan was ushered into the bathroom and she took off her old ragged dress. She pulled on the dress, mindful of her hair, and smiled. Bra was right; this was the perfect dress. She exited from the bathroom and Bra squeaked with glee.

"You look soooooooooooooooo good!!! You will totally amaze Trunks!" Pan blushed and thanked Bra, who quickly waved it off.

"Don't be silly, Pan," she said. "Even though you don't show it, I know how much this means to you." Pan secretly smiled.

If only she knew…

A/N- Ok, this chapter wasn't that interesting, but it was pretty fun to write. Next chapter will be much better though, if things go as planned. Hehe… Now, I have to go work on my other story, I hope I'll be able to work on both stories and not stay behind. It's hard though, especially when people argue about how short they are or whatever. I mean, I'm flattered that people like my story so much that want to read more, but I have a life, too, you know. And actually whenever I try to make longer chapters and I'm not into it, it'll just turn out lame. So please stop complaining about my short chapters! No offense to anyone. ^_^ Ok, thanks to everyone who reviewed, and cookies for everyone!!!!!!!!!! *Everyone eagerly grabs cookie* And guess what? They're home made!!! ^_^ *Everyone quickly spits out cookie* Oh, fine….-_- *hands out store bought cookies*. See ya next chapter!!! ^_^


	11. Chapter 11

A/N- Ok, sorry for the late update. -_- Too many tests…well, anyways, my excuses…. I mean... my reasons are at the bottom… Heh heh…please don't kill me….

Pan and Bra walked down the corridor to the ballroom. It had taken Bra a very short period of time to get ready; she was most likely accustomed to these types of social events. She had worn a deep plum gown that fell down to her ankles in velvety folds. A few strands of her aqua hair were painstakingly tucked into a small bun at the top of her head, while the remainder streamed down her back. Pan smiled just imaging her uncle's drooling expression.

"So, are a lot of people going?" Pan scurried, trying to keep up with that younger girl, who, unlike herself, was used to wearing high heels. 

"Yes, almost everyone will be there. Well, except for the peasants and other low-class people. But anyone who works at the castle, lives in a nearby kingdom, or is in the middle or upper class has been invited. It's a blast, Pan. You'll have lots of fun. It's not often that father plans a big social event. Actually, it's never. It's always Mother arranging parties. Hmm…I wonder what's gotten into him…Ah, well…" Bra stopped talking as they reached the entrance to the main room.

She opened the door and smiled at Pan's astonishment. But for someone who wasn't used to such elegance, it was a near miracle. The walls were covered in beautiful scrolls and paintings, all with the royal emblem positioned somewhere on it. The wide floor was impossibly clean with gold and silver patterns scattered all across. Sparkling crystals hung off the large chandeliers, reflecting light over the room. Just as Pan had imagined, happy couples gracefully waltzed across the floor, swaying to the soft, delightful music. It was a dream come true for the simple, peasant girl. 

"It's so…so…" Pan trailed off, not bothering to continue as she immersed in the sight. 

"I know…" Bra sighed, a remote look in her sapphire eyes.

"Oh! There's Trunks!" Pan squealed and gave him a small wave, but the handsome man who was staring right back at her, did not respond. Pan frowned and opened her mouth to call him, but before the words even had a chance to escape, Bra's gloved hand flew over her mouth. 

"Pan!" Bra warned. Pan wrinkled her brow and looked at Bra.

"Why'd you do that?"

"_Because_ if father saw you so comfortable with his son, he would not be very pleased." Bra explained.

"Umm…why?" Pan asked. The Son genes that she had inherited from her clueless Grandpa were apparently kicking in.

"Trunks is already twenty-one years old, and of course, this would mean that he is to soon inherit the throne. However, this isn't possible unless he has a queen. So, father would want him to be spending his time with rich daughters of kings and landlords, not with peasant girls." Pan sensed disappointment as the meaning sunk in.

"But, I thought Trunks liked me…"

"He does, well, probably. My brother may be stupid, but he is not one to be messing with other people's emotions. He's nice like that."

"Yeah, but-"

"Pan, I don't know what he's considering, but he wouldn't do anything that would hurt you," Bra interrupted. "Like I said, he's nice like that. He probably has some sort of plan or something. Try not to worry about it, Trunks seldom makes a bad judgment. Besides, I rather have you as a sister-in-law than one of those stuck-up, snooty girls." 

Pan smirked, but then heard her name being whispered. Looking up, she noticed Trunks by the refreshments, casually motioning for her to follow him. Pan got the idea and walked over to the exit leading to the balcony, slowly trailing behind him, pausing every few moments to straighten her dress or fix her hair. Once, she looked back wondering if she would be able to tell Bra bye, but Bra was already headed for the opposite exit, pulling Goten by his collar on her way out. Pan dashed forward, hoping that she hadn't lost Trunks, but saw him quickly dart into a cluster of bushes.

"Come on," She heard him whisper. Trying not to feel foolish, she climbed into the shrubbery, as nonchalantly as she could, and found Trunks leaning against a tree. Seeing her enter, he continued walking for a while, leading her to a small garden, fairly close to the lake and they were still able to hear the music, however, they were well hidden from view. 

Trunks suddenly halted and whirled around, pulling her into a hug.

"You look beautiful," he whispered into her ear.

"So do you…" She sighed breathlessly. "Handsome, I mean…" Pan quickly added, in response to his astonished expression. He laughed softly, pulling away.

"Bra got to you, didn't she?" Pan nodded with a small laugh at the way he made Bra sound so dangerous.

"Yeah, but I don't mind." 

"I don't think I do either," He tugged playfully at a wisp of loose hair, looking so amused that Pan laughed again.

"You're crazy, you know that?" Trunks released her hair and gave her a grin.

"Yeah, crazy about you." Pan giggled good-naturedly.

"That was _so_ corny, I hope you know."

"Yeah, but you know you liked it."

"Did not," Pan argued, but could not help smiling. Trunks laughed and Pan sighed in content. This was too good to be true.

As the teasing instantly subsided, the two were overflowing with peacefulness. They sat down on a bench and looked up at the stars.

"It's so pretty," Pan stated, momentarily breaking the silence.

"Yeah…" Trunks stared at Pan, silently debating on something.

"Hey, Pan…?"

"Hmm?" Pan answered, her neck still bent back, as she continued looking at the sky.

"I…I really like you. I mean, I know I just met you, and I don't know much about you. I don't know what your favorite color is, I don't know what your interested in. But, but…I do know…" Pan moved her head down, her dark eyes now focused directly on him. 

I do know every curve of your face," Trunks looked up to meet her gaze. "I do know every speck of gold in your beautiful eyes and I do know that I…I think," His voice quavered, but quickly regained confidence. "No…I _know_ that I really love you…" 

Trunks studied her face as if expecting her to slap him. Pan bowed her head, and raised it again, her eyes watering with happy tears.

"I love you, too, Trunks," She whispered and Trunks's worried eyes were crowded with joy as his handsome face set into a smile. Leaning forward and pulling Pan a bit closer, he brushed his lips softly against hers. Pan wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled even closer to him as their kiss got a bit more passionate. His strong hands massaged her back soothingly as her slender fingers entwined themselves in his lavender locks. Pan was on cloud nine at this moment, filled with bliss as Trunks furthered the kiss, slipping his tongue into her mouth. By this time, Pan was sitting in Trunk's lap and things might have gotten a bit more "interesting", but then, very unexpectedly, Pan was rudely yanked from Trunks and thrown to the ground.

She whimpered in pain and rubbed her head as she heard Trunks call out her name in concern. As the hurting subsided, Pan's eyesight returned just in time to see the king whack Trunks on the side of his head.

"No!" she cried, jumping up to help him, but dizziness overcame her and she leaned against the bench for support, watching as Trunks gritted his teeth and grabbed his head where the king had so brutally hit him. Wait a second, the king? Pan gasped, as she realized the seriousness of this situation. This was bad, very, _very_ bad.

"Father, let me explain!" Trunks shouted, dodging another attack.

"Son, you should know better than to let some silly girl seduce you like that." Vegeta spat in disgust.

"That's not how it was, father, just let me explain!"

"Very well, Trunks. How exactly was it, then?"

"Well…" Trunks faltered and Pan knew that if he told his father that he was in love with a peasant girl, things would not look good for him. So, she did the only thing that came to mind.

"You don't have to lie for me, Trunks." Trunks stared at her, his cerulean eyes filled with panic because he had a feeling he knew what she might be doing.

"I admit, your majesty, it was all my fault. I drugged his drink and then, forced him into kissing me. I doubt he knew anything that was going on. He's half-brain-washed right now." Vegeta regarded her suspiciously and perhaps if he wasn't so furious he would of seen straight through her, but he chose to believe her and Pan inwardly cheered.

"Hmm, well, then Trunks, I must apologize. You are an idiot to fall for some servant's petty little trick, but no matter. You'll never see her again. Guards!" Vegeta snapped his fingers and Ubuu and some other scary-looking guard walked from behind the bushes, both of them looking very angry. Walking to either side of her, they roughly grabbed her arms and squeezed her between them, guaranteeing that she wouldn't escape.

"Pan, let go of Pan!" Trunks yelled, attempting to remove his arm from Vegeta's tight grasp. Vegeta shook his head.

"Whatever you drugged him with worked well, the poor boy's completely brainwashed. Anyways, bring that bitch to the dungeon, I'll take care of her later." Pan sighed and looked over at Trunks.

"I'm not brainwashed, father! Let me go, it's not her fault!!!" He continued squirming around, wearing himself out from his yelling. Pan felt herself being dragged away and she looked at Trunks. 

We knew it wouldn't work out, Trunks, Pan thought to herself. Yet, something in her heart told her not to give up hope…

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A/N- I am soooooooooooooooo sorry, I haven't updated for like three weeks, but as always, I have been very busy. I had three birthday parties to go to, but it was cool because at my friend Sierra's party we slumbered this annoying girl, and well, it was funny, and at my little cousins party we got to see the Harry Potter movie. I LOVED it!!! Especially at the end with Hermione and Ron, well, I won't spoil it, but I think it was cute. They look so much older, it's almost funny, and Rupert Grint, or whatever his name is, is very good at being scared, LOL. And then for my choir class, we had practice every single afternoon, because we have to perform somewhere during Thanksgiving holidays. I know I'm a busy person, but umm…I made this chapter pretty long. I think 5 pages is long anyways, I'm working on the next chapter right now, hope to get it out by this weekend. Anyways, thanks for being so patient, cookies for everyone, I have to go to cheerleading in like 10 minutes, so bye!


	12. Chapter 12

A/N- Thanks for all the reviews! My first fic and I almost have 200 reviews! Ya'll are the best! ^_^ Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter!!!

The constant sound of the cold water sliding down the dark wall and dripping noisily to the ground was enough to drive her crazy, however, this was the least of Pan's problems. Her swift fingers rubbed her temples calmingly as she tried to prevent her headache from further hurting, although, this too, was the least of her problems. She rested her back against the hard, dank wall, letting her fingers drop down to her sides as she intensely thought about what had happened.

'Trunks probably has some plan or something' Bra had said. Well, whatever his plan was it had miserably failed and although Trunks was free of trouble, she shuddered in fright, speculating what dreadful punishment might come her way. Of course, she couldn't be mad at Trunks. It wasn't his fault, actually, it wasn't really anybody's fault, just one of those misfortunate 'being at the wrong place at the wrong time' sort of things. And Pan wasn't usually one who asked for something in return, but after suffering in this terrible dungeon for only a few hours, knowing it would get much worse… Well, he better be grateful.

Pan shifted, trying to find a comfortable position, although after her previous attempts she really should have known better. It was funny. She was stuck in a disconcerting situation, perhaps her life would be taken away in a matter of moments, or perhaps she would have to endure severe torment. Her life rested in the king's hands and this, most certainly, could not be a good sign. So, it was rather funny that the only thing that she could think about was Trunks. The only thing keeping her from regret was the prince himself. Images flying through her head like crazy, teasing her as she remembered how good it felt to be kissed, to be held. How wonderful it was to be adored and cared for, and how wonderful it was to adore and care in return. Trunks was the first person to ever look at her with such affectionate eyes as if he truly loved her. And the way he kissed her, how her heart melted by the pleasure of just being near him, it was almost pathetic. In a good way, that is.

She remembered her friends from the village getting married to their loved ones, and she often wondered why no one even bothered to court her. Pan confessed to herself that she had extremely envied her beautiful friends in their wedding dresses. Dresses that all the mothers would sew together as they all gathered at the bride-to-be's house while the mother of the lucky girl would boast about her daughter's marriage. And then, at the wedding, everyone sighing in delight, as the bride and groom would join, repeating words that were so few, yet meant so much more. And Pan often wondered, why wasn't she living this dream? Why wasn't she hopelessly in love? 

'Love has no boundaries, Pan. Everyone has a heart and everyone needs someone to love. You will meet that someone soon, so don't worry your pretty little head over it.' 

Her Grandma Chichi had often said that, maybe out of wisdom and knowing, or maybe just because she knew her granddaughter needed cheering up. Whatever the reason, those words had brought much reassurance to her through those lonely years of hers and even now, it produced comfort in her bothered mind. She smiled and traced her finger along the ground. Trunks would never let her get hurt like that, Pan knew. Ubuu maybe, but Trunks, never. She sighed heavily resting her head onto her knees. Now if she could only get out of this stupid dungeon…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Small shrieks were heard as the hectic prince ran across the room, pushing people carelessly to the side without even _thinking _about apologizing. How could he? Pan was in trouble, on account of him- he stumbled across the ballroom, breaking his way through a happily dancing couple- and this piece of guilt stabbed at him repeatedly as he struggled to find Bra. Normally, his sister was the last person he would have asked for help during such a crisis, but _everyone_ knew that the princess had the king wrapped around her little finger. And even though, this usually was the reason why he was always to blame when there was a problem, it could always be used to advantage in circumstances like this.

Trunks ran outside to the balcony, squinting through the darkness. Over near the lake, two people were striding across the shore, hand in hand. As the moonlight gleamed above them, he saw a glint of blue. 

"Bra!!!" He yelled as noisily as he could, ignoring the persons who kept giving him disturbed looks. After all, this _was_ an emergency. The girl suddenly stopped and looked up to the castle, quickly dropping her companion's hand. Trunks motioned with his arms, while people skittered away from him, as if he was crazy. Maybe he was.

He sighed in relief as Bra ran up to the castle with her friend - who he recognized as Goten- close behind her.

"What's up, Trunks?" She asked, noticing her sibling's apparent panic.

"Pan…dungeon…Father…need…help…" 

"Trunks, you're not making sense. Now stop hyperventilating before you scare away all of our guests and calm down!" Everyone had deserted the balcony at this point.

After a few minutes of rest and a glass of cold water, Trunks had relaxed, well…almost relaxed. At least they could understand what he was saying.

"Pan and I were hiding behind some bushes and we were kissing-" Goten noisily cleared his throat, receiving a poke from Bra. "-Well, somehow, father found us. I guess we should have been more careful, but you know…Anyways, he found us, Pan told him that she had drugged me and that I was totally insane, and father put her in the dungeon."

"Ohh!" Bra gasped, and Goten clenched and unclenched his fingers in anxiety. 

"Is she alright?" He blurted out, receiving a frown from the two royals.

"Goten, she is anything from alright. I think…I think Father may be planning to kill her even. After all, no one gets away with seducing the prince. This is where you come in, Bra. Everyone knows Father will listen to you in a heartbeat. So _please_ help me," Trunks implored in a desperate tone. "And as my sister, you do know that I have _never_ begged you of anything."

Bra grinned at the last words, but readily consented. 

"Pan's my friend, too. And even if she wasn't, well, I would do it anyways."

"Because you love me?" Trunks asked with a diminutive smirk.

"Umm…no. Because I'm a nice person." She laughed at him.

"Oh…well, I have to be back in my room in approximately two minutes because Mother will be checking up on me. Bra, please try your best. See you later, Goten." With this, he dashed back to his room, once again frustrating the unfortunate visitors.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Bra slipped into her parent's room, knowing that she wouldn't be interrupting anything. She knew for a fact that her mother, the chatter-box, would be mingling with all the guests, while her father, the anti-social, would stick around at the festivity for a few minutes before coming up to the room. It was, indeed, very unfortunate that he had found Trunks and Pan during those few precious minutes.

"Hi, Daddy," She whispered in an innocent voice, trying to look as sweet as possible. Vegeta looked up from his desk where he was currently working on some papers. But talking to his daughter was something that he rarely did so he got up from his chair and walked over to her.

"Why aren't you at the party?" He asked in a demanding tone. She was much like her mother, so why would she be missing a big social event just to talk to her father? No, something was up.

"I can't come talk to you, Daddy?" Bra pouted.

"What's going on, Bra?"

"Daddy, what do you mean? Absolutely nothing is-"

"Either you tell me what's going on or leave. It's your decision."

"_Okay_," She sighed dramatically and looked Vegeta straight in the eye. "I was told about Pan."

"Who told you?" He asked sharply.

"That doesn't matter, Daddy! You're not going to hurt the poor girl, are you?"

"Hurt her? Ha! She deserves to be killed!"

"Well, she may deserve to be, but you would never do it, would you? You're far too kind to do something like that." Bra stated, her voice dripping in cuteness.

"Far too kind?" Vegeta spat with the almighty smirk plastered on his face. "Bra, I have been killing people for years and let me make clear that I will not spare the girl just because she is your friend."

"Daddy…that's mean," She whined, phony, yet genuine-looking tears, forming in the corners of her eyes.

"Bra." He warned, clearly unaffected by her sniffling. So the clever princess decided to switch tactics.

"Fine, but you will regret it. I'm not the only one who feels this way." She scowled.

"Well, no one else even knows, Princess, so just admit your defeat."

"Open your eyes! Practically everyone here tonight knows about your injustice and well, they are not very pleased about it. And let me warn you, those who do not know will find out soon because news spreads fast, Daddy, and let's just say, that this piece of news will _not_ look good for your reputation." Bra folded her slender arms and glared, although inwardly she was very much proud of her little speech. If this didn't do it, she didn't know what would.

"I…well…you…ARGH! Fine then, I give up! I won't hurt her, won't kill her."

"Yeah!" Bra cheered, giving her father a big hug.

"However, this will cost her family dearly, and she will most definitely be fired."

Bra sighed, but at least she had finished her part of the mission. She wondered how Trunks would react to this though.

A/N- There I promised to get this out by the weekend. Even though it's 10:30 and I'm very tired (I had to baby-sit my little brother, my little sister, and my cousin because my mom was at a neighbor's house for a 'few minutes'. Yeah right…) I'm happy to get this chapter out, because, well, just because. I can't really think straight right now. I was awake very early this morning when my older brother 'accidentally' spilled cold water on me. Don't you pity me? I have one older brother, one little brother, and two little sisters. Poor, poor me. I'm just joking; I love my family. ^_^ I also love reviews. ^_~ I have 180, only 20 more to go until 200 *Dun, Dun, DUN* Well, it's a nice number… I will probably be able to update pretty soon. I don't have any school this week for Thanksgiving (duh!) and the only thing I will be busy with is art classes and cheerleading. And I think my friend is having a B-day party…err…anyways. Thanks to all kind reviewers and instead of getting cookies, ya'll get brownies! Or fudge. Or _both_. ^_~ Anyways, see you next chapter!


	13. Chapter 13

A/N- Thanks to all reviewers, here's chapter 13.

Pan squinted her eyes as a bright light washed over the dungeon cell. The door screeched as it was roughly yanked to the side. Her dark eyes quickly adjusted to the radiant glow and she could faintly see two large outlines. They walked in, blocking her view and yanked her up. Guards, she realized. But where were they taking her? Surely they wouldn't kill her. But for a second there, Pan wasn't so certain. Until she heard the king's voice.

"Let her out."

The sentinels put her down on her feet and the king looked at Pan disdainfully. She had to admit, she did look a fright. Her hair which Bra worked on for so long was now scattered over her back, random pins sticking out and a few strands still up. The princess's once exquisite dress was now wet and torn and well, no longer exquisite. Her face was, she assumed, smudged with dirt as she had been lying down for a while on the mucky floor. But her appearance probably didn't matter anyways. The king would always look down on Pan Son, the peasant girl. 

"I am letting you go." Pan jumped as she heard those five words. It was a miracle; a true miracle. But what had changed his mind? Trunks, maybe? Or Bra? Her mind was cluttered with questions as she remained standing before the trio, praying that this wasn't a dream.

"Well? Get on! I don't want to see you again! I never want to see you at the castle again! Stay away or you will be murdered, slowly and painfully, as well, as your family," the king threatened. Pan's eyes widened and she skittered away, ignoring the cruel mocking laughter from behind her.

She ran down the corridor, paying no heed to the stares and whispers. Turning a corner, she bumped into Marron. Same as when she had first came to the castle. However, this time the girl's words did not bring happiness or joy.

"Pan, I was looking for you. I know you and Ubuu were engaged, but he told me he wants to break up with you."

"Wait, what?" Pan said, clearly confused. How would Marron know all of this?

"Pan, I knew you really liked Ubuu, but it's over, okay? He and I are happy together, and well, ever since he found out about you and the prince, he's been _very _hurt, not to mention very angry." Marron explained this to Pan slowly as if she was a two-year old.

"You know, that was very shallow of you," she continued, "hurting poor Ubuu's feelings like that. He really loved you, you know, but no matter." Marron stuck out her hand, showing off the rather cheap ring that Ubuu had gotten her. "He hates you, now."

Pan felt her anger rising.

"Shut up, Marron! You are completely clueless about this whole damn situation so stop acting like you know everything!" 

"Why are you so mad, Pan? Okay, maybe I don't know about the _whole_ situation, but as a maid, I have heard many rumors. Pan, I don't want to tell you something I'm not sure about, but are you sure that the prince really likes you? All the gossip I've hear so far is about you crushing on the prince, seducing the prince, the prince teasing you along."

"That's not true," Pan stubbornly argued, shaking her head for emphasis.

"I don't want to hurt your feelings, Pan," Marron said, her once cold voice, now low and reluctant. "I admit that I wanted to be friends with you. Ubuu says mean things about you. He would get mad if I was nice to you."

"Thanks Marron, I wouldn't mind being friends with you. As for Ubuu, I have to confess, I…I never really liked him. When we were younger we were really good friends, but now…maybe he changed or maybe I did. I never feel comfortable around him anymore. He's kind of controlling, kind of disrespectful. I knew you really like him," Pan said as she saw Marron open her mouth to retort. "Just don't let him boss you around or rush you or force you into anything, I'm sure he can be a nice guy. Oh yeah, and I should tell you, he gets easily jealous." Pan smiled, remembering how astonished and angry her father was. At the time, she was frightened, angry and surprised, but now it as kind of funny.

"Thanks, Pan. That was nice of you, considering how snobby I was a few minutes ago. Anyways, good luck. I hate to hurry you, but you better leave before the king finds out you're still around."

"Okay. Bye, Marron and thanks!" She said and she continued running, thinking about how weird that encounter was.

She suddenly stopped as she came across a familiar door. 

"Trunks," she whispered and ran her hand across the door, wondering if she should tell him good-bye. But no, she was too cowardly; farewells were never easy for her, and especially this one. 

"Bye, Trunks." Pan kissed her hand and pressed it softly against the door. Turning around, she ran out of the castle, wondering if she would ever see him again.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Trunks opened the door; he could have sworn he had heard someone calling his name. He looked down the hallways but saw no one. He shrugged and decided that since he was out of his room, he might as well go visit Pan. It was getting late and he very much doubted that there would be anyone there to try and stop him.

He crept across the corridors, feeling pretty sneaky because it's not often one has to sneak about in there own homes. Reaching the dungeon, he opened it and the darkness quickly swallowed him. Suddenly, he wished that he had thought of bringing a flashlight with him, but it didn't matter, he could easily recognize Pan's voice.

"Pan?" he called out softly, hoping that she wouldn't be asleep.

"Trunks?" He jumped in surprise, he hadn't really expected to receive a response, but disappointment quickly rushed over him. It wasn't Pan; it was only Bra.

"What are you doing down here?" He asked, quickly recovering.

"I wanted to tell Pan good-bye."

"Good-bye? Where is she going? Father isn't going to kill her, is he?!" He yelled in an alarmed voice. 

"No, I talked to him like you asked. He let her free."

"That's great! Let's go find her!"

"Trunks, we can't. She's…she's gone. Dad fired her and forbid her from ever coming back. I don't think we'll ever see her again…"

"What?! That's not fair!"

"I know that, but don't get mad at me. Get mad at Daddy."

"I…I'm going to go get her!"

"You can't! You'll get in trouble!" Bra cautioned.

"It'll be worth it, anyways, it's dangerous out there. You should know."

"Goten already went after her. She'll be safe."

"Bra, I'm leaving now. Tell Mother and Father that I'm err…sleeping."

"Trunks, you can't sneak out, I already told you!"

"But-"

"Forget it. I'll miss her, too, but it's probably safer for her if we don't go."

"Go where?" A light switch was flicked and the room became dim, but at least now they were able to see. The arguing siblings quickly turned towards the door to see their father, standing there.

"Go where?" Vegeta calmly repeated.

"Umm…go to sleep?" Trunks lamely fibbed and Bra rolled her eyes at her brother's inexperience.

"Don't lie to me, boy!" Vegeta yelled and the two looked at each other, knowing that they would be in serious trouble.

"I'm not lying. We're tired and we want to go to sleep. Right, Bra?" Bra rapidly nodded her head.

"Ah, I see. So Bra, why do you feel that it's safer for her if ya'll don't go to sleep, hmmm?" Vegeta smirked, clearly enjoying the tense moment.

"This "her" wouldn't, by any chance, be Pan, now would it?" Vegeta asked, his brows furrowing in fury.

"No, of course not…" Trunks disagreed.

"I know that you plan on sneaking out and meeting her. This will not be allowed. I have to warn you that if you _ever_ go meet her, I will have to dispose of her."

"Dispose?" Bra said, her lower lip quivering.

"Dispose." Vegeta said and he left the room as quickly as he came.

"Now what?" Trunks asked in discouragement. 

"Dispose…" Bra whispered in disgust and also left the room, leaving Trunks alone in the gloomy room.

A/N- So the plot thickens… Hmmm…that was a fun chapter. Sorry it's not longer. I'll try to update soon though. Thanks to my lovely reviewers. ^_^ Now, I need to hurry up, because I have an interesting idea and I can't wait to start it. Hope you liked the chappie! -^.^-


	14. Chapter 14

A/N- More than 200 reviews, OMG, ya'll are the best!!! *muah, muah* I LOVE ALL OF YOU SO MUCH! *Scared reviewers quickly run off* Umm…sorry about that, I guess I better stop before I lose readers. Anyway, thanks again for the encouraging reviews and I'm so glad ya'll are enjoying this story! ^_^

Pan walked along side her uncle, the unsettling silence very daunting to the already miserable girl. The stars twinkled down at them in an almost teasing matter and Pan tried to control her anger at the king, her disappointment in Bra for not even saying good-bye, and her sorrow. Her sorrow for Trunks and herself. A newfound love so quickly pulled apart…it was anything, but fair. But fairness was not a factor included in the king's vocabulary as she had already found out, and she could barely restrain the urge to strangle the king. 

She gave Goten a quick glance. He must have understood how she was feeling, after all, he was madly in love with Bra; the two had deeply bonded during the time they stayed at the house. Yet in a way, things were different. It was oddly surprising to Pan that the couple had not already been found out. No offense intended, but with carefree Bra and naïve Goten involved, it was a near miracle. She wondered if they ever planned upon telling, and if they did, how everybody would react. 

She sighed painfully. She missed him; she needed him so much, right now. He had no idea, no idea of how much pain she had went through. Once again, Goku's picture flickered through her mind. He always made things better, always saying the right thing to make her Granddaughter's tears disappear. In a way, Trunks reminded her of Goku and this may have been what had attracted her to him, that is, besides his handsome face, sexy smile, romantic phrases, intelligence, sense of humor, personality…

"Pan?" Goten interrupted.

"Yes?" She could barely see his face; the only light available was the pale gaze radiating from the crescent moon.

"How are you going to explain? About getting fired." 

Pan suddenly stopped and turned to look at her uncle. "I-I never even thought about that. Mother and Father are already upset with me about the whole Ubuu incident and now this? I'm in big trouble…"

Goten nodded and gave Pan a goofy, yet worried, smile.

"I'm sure they'll understand what you have to say."

"Oh, yeah, Goten, I'm sure they'll _completely_ understand me when I tell them that I was flirting with the prince," Pan blurted out, her voice thick in sarcasm. "They already think I had an affair with him and Daddy looked like he was about to explode or something. And then, everyone thought I was raped and he almost had a heart attack. If I tell him that I was kissing the prince and was _caught_…He might as well bury himself alive."

Goten nodded again and the two sustained their brisk walking in total mute until the outskirts of the small village came into view.

"I don't know what to tell them, Goten," Pan complained, slowing her pace a bit. Goten grinned and patted her arm sympathetically. 

"But-" Pan protested, but Goten yanked her towards the broken-down hut that they called home and Pan was just about thankful to be back. Until the door was pulled open by Goten and she saw the looks on her parent's faces. They weren't exactly sad, not at all angry, but they held a fierce disappointment.

Videl smiled and pulled her daughter into a hug. 

"Are you okay?" Videl asked in a very protective tone.

"Umm…yes." Gohan stood up from his seat and touched his daughter's shoulder.

"Ubuu told us all about it," He said.

"All about what?" Pan asked frantically, wondering in disgust what lie he had come up with this time.

"About the guard." 

"Oh." Pan looked at Goten who shrugged in confusion.

"He told us all about the guard. The one who was so jealous that you and Ubuu were an item that he actually tried to hurt you. The nerve of him!" Videl yelled.

"Yeah, it was pretty weird…" She said, playing along, curious as to why Ubuu was being so helpful. Also, she wondered how he had gotten to the house before the two of them and why they had never even noticed him. There was only one road leading to and fro the castle and they, of course, were walking along it. However, she didn't have much time to ponder this for Gohan had disrupted her perplexity.

"What I don't understand," Gohan said, "is why you were fired and not the guard." He looked pointedly at Pan as if _demanding _an explanation.

"_Well_…umm…"

"Well, he wasn't the only one who wanted Pan, you know." Goten filled in, giving Pan a discreet wink. Videl and Gohan turned to look at Goten and Pan sighed in relief.

"What do you mean?" Gohan urged his brother to continue.

"Well, Pan is a pretty girl, so naturally everyone wants her and well, they can't because they thought that she and Ubuu were a couple and some of the more err…_rude_ men would do anything to have her. Which is why the queen decided that Pan was no longer safe there and fired her." Goten finished proudly.

"Oh, poor child," Videl cried as she threw her arms around her daughter.

"That's too bad, but at least I have a job now." Gohan said optimistically and Pan knew that he was talking about the money problems when he said that it was 'too bad'. All of a sudden she felt very terrible. If she and Trunks had been more careful, they wouldn't have been caught, nor would she had have lost her job. Now they were stuck in the same rut as in the beginning. Poor and helpless.

A/N- Sorry that I left it off at such a strange place. Yes, I am aware of the shortness of this chapter, but I'm tired, lol. I know, I know I'm selfish, but we did a LOT of Christmas shopping today. Anyways, since this is so short, the next chapter will probably be longer, I dunno. Sorry again and cookies for all. ^_^


	15. Chapter 15

A timid knock on the door startled Pan out of her painful nostalgia and she put down the dish that she had been washing while wiping her drenched hands on a skimpy towel. She opened the door and stared at the visitor obliviously. Never before had she seen this girl. She was young, around six or seven; her brunette hair pulled into two long braids. Judging from her lightly freckled arms, tan disposition, and shabby dress, she was most likely a daughter of a poor farmer or servant. A nervous smile graced her tiny face as she looked up at Pan expectantly.

"Hello," Pan said, not really knowing what this little girl wanted from her. "Are you lost?" The young girl shook her head furiously, long braids swaying from side to side.

"The prince sent me." She said in an innocent little voice. But before Pan had time to marvel over the adorable little girl her heart stopped. The prince?! 

"Really? Why don't you come in and tell me what he said. I'll get you some cookies while you do that," Pan urged, trying to remain calm. She suddenly was relieved that her parents were out. Her father was looking for a new job, her mother taking care of a sick neighbor, and Goten…actually, she didn't know; he had left the house before she or her parents had awaken. Chichi was asleep; the medicine did this to her, but the doctors (whom they could just barely afford) assured them that this was a good sign. 

The young girl nodded slightly and walked in, letting the door slam shut behind her. She slightly flinched as the whole house shook, unlike Pan who was familiar with the effect. 

"What's your name?" Pan asked kindly as she rummaged through the kitchen cabinets. 

"Tara." Came the bashful reply.

"That's a pretty name. So, Tara, can you tell me what Tru- I mean, the _prince_ said?" 

"Uhhuh. He said that he would give me ten coins if I did!" Tara replied with childish excitement, her green eyes shining happily.

"That's nice." Pan set down a plate of cookies on the table and smiled as a thin hand grabbed one clumsily. Tara nibbled on it slowly before remembering her main reason for even being there.

"He said, umm…" She scratched her head with a free hand while thinking intensely and Pan inwardly begged the girl to remember.

"Oh, yeah!" Tara exclaimed as Pan let out a deep breath. "He said he missed you and that his father forbid him from ever seeing you again." Pan frowned and wondered what the queen thought about all of this.

"He's sorry that he couldn't say good-bye, but it was too late." Pan beamed with satisfaction; she knew that he would at least try.

"And he got caught and now his father has guards surrounding his and his sister's room." She waited patiently while Tara finished a cookie. 

"He probably will not be able to visit you, but he'll try to think up a plan and he's sorry that you got fired. He said he loved you and then he told me he was done and he called me little." Tara scrunched her nose in disgust. "I don't like it when people call me little." 

Pan paid no attention to this last comment, but wondered instead if Trunks was wise in trusting such a small girl with such a big secret. She knew that children, being as careless as they were, easily forgot things of important matters, but she also knew that they could not keep secrets. She watched Tara reach for a second cookie and another question occurred to her.

"Tara, how did you get to my house?"

"My older brother brought me. He's a guard at the castle." She added the last part proudly.

"Really?" Pan asked in surprise and she wondered if she had ever met him. "What's his name?"

"Ubuu. He's waiting across the street for me right now."

"_Ubuu?_" Her face clouded with disbelief and curiosity. 

"Yup. Wanna go see him?" 

"Yes, that might be a good idea." So Tara led Pan out of the house and across the street. The vicinity was oddly isolated. Only a single wagon and a handful of wild children were outside. And amidst the barren, sure enough, Ubuu was there, his eyes brightening as he saw Pan.

"Ubuu?" She queried, still rather insecure.

"Pan, hi…" They stood in silence and Tara watched them with interest. Ubuu cleared his throat and looked at Tara. 

"Maybe you should wait in the house," He requested. Tara complied and skipped back to the Son home. They watched until the door slammed shut before speaking to each other.

"I wanted to speak to you…"

"Oh?"

"I wanted to…apologize. I know I've been a jerk and I guess…I guess I was just jealous. I really liked you, Pan. And I always thought you were 'the one'. So when you fell for the prince, I just…I wanted to kill him; it was like I would do anything to get you back. I guess it was kind of selfish of me and I know that I got you in trouble." He lowered his head sincerely and Pan smiled. "Can you please forgive me?" He asked with earnest brown eyes. Pan didn't hesitate and nodded, pulling him into a hug.

"I have to admit, when I heard that you liked me and wanted to marry me, I was very disgusted. Not that I didn't like you," She quickly added. "But we were always really good friends. And to change our friendship so abruptly…It just didn't seem right."

"And trust me, I was mad at you _plenty_ of times. But I've learned that love can do very strange things to you and I know that everything you did was just a big mistake. So…can we just stay friends?" Ubuu smiled happily and nodded his head. They shook hands formally as if they had settled an important matter and in a way, they had. After all, nothing is more important than friendship. 

"So, fill me in. Tara was very precise with her explanation, but I need more details." Pan declared.

"Okay, well, after I learned that you got fired, I felt pretty lousy. I knew you needed the money and that you really liked Trunks and I was just being a jerk. So, I offered to be one of the guards that watches over the prince and makes sure that he doesn't escape. The two of us had a long conversation and we finally made a deal. I apologized and Trunks forgave me. As you know, he is forbidden to see you, but…"

"What?" Ubuu grinned as he heard Pan's eager tone.

"But we have a plan." He finished dramatically.

"Go on," she urged.

"_Well_…" He leaned forward and whispered the plan in her ear. If _anyone_ ever found out…

A/N- Hmm…annoying place to end it, isn't it? Well, don't worry, next chapter you'll know what the plan is. I'm pretty busy this weekend. I'll try to update though. Thanks to my wonderful reviewers. ^_^ Byez!


	16. Chapter 16

Sneaky and deceitful. That's exactly how Pan felt as she stood in the dark hallway patiently waiting for the clock to signal that it was almost midnight. But unfortunately, it was only 11:45 and she was starting to get very tired. Obviously, she wasn't staying up this late for the fun of it. No, this was all part of the Plan. Ubuu had made it sound so glamorous, like some action-packed romance story; he had used Romeo and Juliet as an example. Well, it wasn't exactly glamorous. The slinking around and cunning arrangements did enhance much excitement, but the heavy guilt in her heart and the cold air blowing through the small crack in the wall was almost enough to make her give up. _Almost _that is. Of course, the Plan was to sneak out and meet Trunks. But it wouldn't be that simple.

Ubuu, who was much more enthusiastic about all of this than Pan, had vividly described, detail from detail, what was going to happen. Minorities aside, what they were going to do mostly depended on how well Trunks, Bra, and Ubuu acted. Ubuu was one of the guards that watched Trunks. To get rid of the other guards, Bra was to invite them over to her room for some wine until they were drugged. Very drugged. Ubuu would let Trunks know that the other guards were gone and he would be able to go to the secret room. Then, Bra would use another secret passage to get out to the front yard where Pan would be hiding. They would return to Trunks's room where Ubuu would let her in and she would go see him in the secret room. They would be able to talk until morning. It was kind of ridiculous; all of that work so that they could talk for a few hours. But it would be worth it and Pan was incredibly grateful that her friends were doing this for her. 

Just then the ancient clock chimed softly and she knew that it was time for her to leave. She retreated from her shadowy corner and tiptoed across the earthen floor, her thin body shivering from the lack of heat. Extending her hand to the door, Pan was about to escape into the night, but then her hand quickly backed away from the knob as a bright light blinded her and her name was whispered in an admonishing tone. She turned around shakily, expecting to find her worried mother or angry father, but instead, she found a half-asleep, hair-disheveled, and widely yawning Goten.

"What are you doing?" He asked softly, rubbing his tired eyes.

"I just want to go get some fresh air…"

"_Sure_ you do. Hey…you're not trying to sneak out…are you?" Pan silently cursed under her breath; her uncle was a pretty dim guy, but somehow he was always so clever just when she didn't want him to be.

"Yeah, I am…"

"What?" Goten was wide-awake now, his dark eyes blinking away any remains of drowsiness. "But Pan, you can't go out there alone, at this time of night, nonetheless. You remember what happened last time?"

"I have to, Goten!" She pleaded rather loudly. "I have to meet Trunks…I need to talk to him."

"Gee, I dunno…What if you get caught?"

"Well, Dear Uncle, that's the genius of this Plan, we won't. Trunks, Bra, and Ubuu have it all taken care of and all I have to do is get there in time. So, _please_ let me go; I really miss him…" But Goten didn't seem to hear the last part as his eyes had glazed over upon hearing the name Bra.

"Bra…" He whispered in a tone that was just perceptible. 

"All right, you can go," He quickly decided and Pan silently cheered. "But I'm coming with you."

"Fair enough. Now, let us go before it gets too late." The lights flickered back off and the door faintly closed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Trunks paced the dark room fretfully as he tried to stay calm and avoid bumping into anything at the same time. Just then, a light tapping sound was heard on the door and Trunks flung it open to see Bra with two lighted candles and a happy smile.

"It worked, Trunks; they are fast asleep." Trunks breathed in relief and took a candle.

"Thanks, sister. Since when are you so nice, anyway?" Bra softly laughed and pushed him back into the room. 

"You can worship my greatness later. You really ought to get going now." Trunks nodded in agreement and headed to his wardrobe while Bra left his room and returned to her own. She entered the room, snorting disdainfully at the drugged idiots. Stepping towards her own wardrobe, she slipped into the dark passage; the indistinct glow of the candle her only means of observation.

When Trunks told her and Ubuu about the passage in his wardrobe and this infamous 'secret room' that he wouldn't further explain, her curiosity got the better of her and she rather foolishly checked her own closet with an increasing surge of childish enthusiasm. Needless to say, it deeply piqued her interest that there actually was a similar passage leading out of her own room. With absolutely no hesitation or uncertainty clouding her mind, she quickly went to explore, not even thinking about any of the consequences. Luckily, there were no ill-fated circumstances. Instead, she now knew a hidden short cut to the kitchens, library, and front yard. 

Speaking of the front yard, Bra had finally arrived. She climbed out of the opening and pushed her way into a thick shrub of bushes. She knew for a fact that all of the front guards ended their shift at exactly midnight. They would leave willingly, despite the fact that the king always ordered them to wait for the next set of guards. But alas, they always failed to obey- this was unknown to the king of course. For the next ten minutes or so, the castle would be unguarded and this was enough time to smuggle Pan in…that is, if she came on time.

Bra nervously shifted positions and looked up at the sky. It was dark and thick with clouds, not even one pale filter of moonlight could seep through. The eternal shadows were a slight advantage for Pan's sake, seeing how it would be less obvious to spot her. However, Pan was supposedly by herself and she could easily get lost or kidnapped.

Bra's worries were useless though as she saw Pan come through the gates, insecurity written all over her face, and she was accompanied by none other than-

"Goten!" Bra squeaked, much louder than necessary. She giggled softly as she saw the pair jump in surprise at the unexpected acknowledgement. She stood up, enabling herself to be noticed and beckoned them to approach.

"Goten!" She shrieked again as they came closer and she jumped onto him, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck and her legs well above the ground. He laughed joyfully and enclosed her in a strong hug. Pan smiled at the couple but shushed them. They didn't want to risk getting caught. 

"Hi, Pan!" Bra welcomed after releasing Goten. Pan replied to her greeting and looked questioningly at Bra.

"Oh, right, we better go." She led them into the pathway.

"I can't believe this…everything's working so well. Why isn't something going wrong?" Pan fretted, mostly to herself. 

"Don't be so pessimistic, Pan. Just because things usually go wrong, doesn't mean that they always do." Goten reassured.

"I know, but…I feel like something bad is going to happen…I don't know exactly what's wrong though…"

"Well, sometimes I feel like that, but then I just eat a doughnut or a cookie and all my worry disappears." Pan shook her head as Bra laughed. It was somewhat pathetic that a simple cookie could relieve him from apprehension.

"I'll have to try that someday," Bra stated. "Oh, good, we're here!" They crawled out of the closet and Pan and Goten stared at the fat drunkards lying in the middle of her room.

"Err…don't ask. _Right_, so Trunks' room is right across the hallway, Ubuu will let you in. You should meet Trunks in the secret room. You do know where that is, right?" 

Pan nodded and left the room, leaving Bra and Goten alone to talk. However, there was no Ubuu guarding the door. Pan just shrugged and went in anyway. The door creaked open and she switched the light on, staring wordlessly at the person standing in front of her…

A/N- Cliffy! Hehe, sorry I couldn't resist. But I finally got this chapter up, yay! ^_^ Hope you liked it, I'll try to update soon, thanks to everyone who reviewed, and Merry Christmas! Well, it's not Christmas yet, but it's tomorrow and I'll just tell you now in case I can't tell you tomorrow, so bye!!! ^_^


	17. Chapter 17

Pan shifted under the hard gaze of those piercing orbs as a dreadful feeling rushed through her body. She knew it had been too good to be true. King Vegeta had once again found them out, but how? Surely Bra and Goten would not tell and Trunks definitely would not, but then that would leave only Ubuu who, Pan believed, could finally be trusted again. 

She stared back fearfully, the glare of her dark eyes colliding with his. It was torture; would he ever speak? She wanted to turn and run away, but would that be wise? Pan desperately broke contact with him and turned around. No guards or anything, but that would make it too easy. She eyed him again, waiting for him to make his move, waiting for guards to come out and grab her, but it wasn't happening. He just stared in disgust and shock and anger and amusement. The big jerk. 

"Y-Your Majesty?" She choked out, disappointed at the lack of courage in her voice.

"You never give up, do you?"

"What?" What kind of question was that? 

"I said, you never give up…do you?"

"I…but, I can't!" Pan desperately shouted. Vegeta's lip curled into a sickening sneer and he crossed his arms with a look of authority.

"I warned you, brat. Stay away from my son. But did you listen? NO!" The cruel laughter in his eyes were gone, replaced with a indescribable anger.

"This is it. It's over. You and your family and that no good guard…You will all be severely punished." Pan opened her mouth to complain, but he firmly held up his hand to stop her.

"I warned you," replied the King and Pan knew he was right. Not knowing what other option she had, she did something rather cowardly. She ran. Pan heard Vegeta's angry yells coming after her, but she knew he could not catch her, thanks to her sudden surge of adrenaline. Her family…she did this to her family. It was all her fault. She felt hot tears trail down her face and she simply ran faster. Just to get away from it all. 

"Pan?" She turned at the sound of that oh-so-familiar voice and as she gazed at her love a second wave of guilt washed over her. Trunks…him, too, would be punished. All because he fell in love with her…a stupid peasant girl. 

As Trunks saw her running away, everything seemed to be in slow motion. He called her name and when she turned, he took in her appearance with surprise. Her fear-filled eyes releasing floods of tears, the dark bags under her eyes from lack of sleep, her too-bony body caused by the small amount of food she was able to eat. As he looked at her, he saw for the very first time that she was not perfect. She was poor, tired, and lonely. But this did not change his feelings for her, not at all. 

"Pan!" He called again. But she just sobbed loudly and ran away from him. Like she was afraid of _him. _A group of guards pushed by him, but he could hardly notice. All he could stare at was her running figure. Briefly, he wondered…would he ever see her again?

Trunks sighed sadly, surprised to find that tears were brimming his own eyes. He hastily wiped them away though and sunk against the wall.

"Trunks?" Bra asked wearily. "Are you okay?" Trunks gasped and shook his head.

"I don't think so, Bra…I don't think so…" He closed his eyes tightly, trying to erase that look Pan had given him. Did she blame him?" He covered his face, slightly shaking. A few minutes of silence passed and Trunks finally looked up to see his sister as he felt her hand touch his shoulder.

"They have Ubuu," she said softly.

"What! Oh, no, quick, we have to go help him!"

"We can't, Trunks," Bra said shaking her head sadly. "They got him…" 

"You mean…"

"Yes…" 

Trunks looked down with misery and the two siblings silently cried for all of their losses.

A/N- Eh! Gomen nasai minna-san! ^_^() That was a super late update, wasn't it? Thanks for everyone who reviewed anyway. Ya'll are the best! ^_^ But I'm in a real hurry, hence, the short and rather rushed chapter. No, this is not the end, I'm pretty sure there will be at least 3 more chapters left. Well, thanks for the support! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! ^,~


	18. Chapter 18

A/N- This story is pretty long, already Chapter 18. ^_^ Thanks to all of you who reviewed- I can't believe I have 300! Oh, and don't worry; this won't be the last chapter. 

Pan rested her head down and sighed. A month…it had been a whole month since…that incident. She squeezed her eyes shut while remembering what had happened. Trunks's worried face, all the guards, …Ubuu's terrified scream. She buried her face in her arms, trying to hide the escaped tears. Her old best friend, her newfound friend, and for a short while, even her fiancé. She had killed him- it was all her fault. But deep down in her heart, Pan couldn't regret it. If she went back in time, how would she avoid this? The problem was…she wouldn't. She would always love Trunks.

She turned around as the door creaked open, smiling as Goten entered. Despite Vegeta's threats, he did not attack, or even bother the family. The only people he wanted to punish were herself and Goten. So they had ran, to the other side of the town- far from the castle, across a river, and surrounded by hills. Completely isolated.

"What's wrong?" She asked her fretful uncle. He hastily cleared his throat and turned away.

"Nothing…nothing is wrong. Don't worry." She cocked an eyebrow and grinned.

"_Sure_. Well, I think I'll go take a walk; it's not dangerous, is it?" Goten made a small noise, but shook his head anyway.

"Perfectly safe, Panny." Pan rolled her eyes as she left the abandoned shed. She grabbed her skirt and crawled up a hill, sighing as she reached the top.

"Beautiful," she whispered to herself as she admired the view, but then something caught her eye.

"What?" She stood up and dropped her skirt, squinting towards the castle. Tons of people were gathered around from what she could see, while the rest of the town seemed quiet and empty. 

"A party?" She murmured. Climbing down, she waded across the river and sped through the field. Finally reaching the town, Pan composed herself and self-consciously pushed back her hair. If anyone she knew saw her…

"Pan?" She groaned and walked away quickly, but a tug on her sleeve stopped her. A slim figure wrapped in old, dirty cloaks and scarves stood in front of her. It was a girl, Pan decided, although she couldn't be positive. Her (or his) hair was covered with a long hood, the lower part of their face covered with a scarf. But those twinkling blue eyes looked so familiar. Oddly similar to Trunks's, but lacking the turquoise specks and recognizable glow.

"Do I know you?" She inquired, looking around awkwardly.

The girl pulled down the scarf and smirked. "It's me you dimwit!" She exclaimed, smiling warmly to lessen the offense.

"Bra?" She whispered. "Oh, I _knew_ you looked familiar. I missed you!"

"I missed you, too, but I'm afraid I have some bad news."

"Oh, not again…"

"Well, first of all, I…" Bra hesitated. "I wanted to tell you about Ubuu…he…"

"I know," Pan replied curtly. "I was there…when they took him…How is Marron taking it?"

"Marron? Oh…well, she left shortly after. I never thought to ask; I was more worried about you and Goten."

"Oh…" Pan said, sympathizing for the girl. A moment of silence passed.

"Well, umm… Why are there so many people? That's the reason I came down here in the first place."

"And that brings me to the second portion of the bad news." Bra replied. She sighed. "You know…Trunks will take over the throne soon. And of course, every king…"

"Needs a queen," Pan finished for her. "I knew this would happen…but not so soon. I thought…I would still have time to get over him…" She looked down sadly.

"Pan…"

"It's ok though. I'll be fine. Well, I better get going." She turned to leave, but once again Bra yanked on her arm.

"No! We're not giving up that easy. Look, I have an idea. Just give me time to sweet talk my father and there's no possible way you can get caught." Bra smirked malevolently. "You'll see."

"Alright," Pan agreed with a smile. "Meet me here tomorrow. I'll bring you up to where we're staying and you can see Goten."

"Good, so I'll see you later then."

"Yeah, but one more thing. I've been kind of worried…did you and Trunks get in trouble?"

Bra grinned. "We were about to. But then our mother woke up and when she found out, she was angry as hell. Poor dad." Pan smirked.

"That's good. Well, see you."

"Yeah, see you!" Bra pushed her scarf over her nose and disappeared into the crowd.

"Another plan? Well, I hope this one works…"

A/N- Short chappie and another cliffhanger. ^_^; Yikes, I did it again. You know, I don't do this on purpose; it just happens…So no flames, anger, or violence okay? ^_^;

Thanks to chibigoten124/SSJ3MysticPan, Goku-chan, Lady Tomboy, Princess of Light, Kutie_Pan, AnimeFreak-TrunksPan-luver4evr, Goten's Gaurdian Angel, Nikki, dragon agility, Fire Dragon, lovelylady, Juunanagou4ever, bella, son gomay vidal goku, Jezika-gurl, Banana Fana, Empress Sarah-sama, Granny Adams, Sukoshi Fushigi, Sam, Aisha ClanClan, Miko-chan, and me for reviewing chapter 17! ^_^


	19. Chapter 19

Bra pushed her way through the mobs of people, trying to get back to the castle. Tons of women gathered around nervously while asking each other if the news was really true. Was the handsome Prince Trunks finally ready to choose a wife? Well, let's rephrase that. Was the handsome Prince Trunks finally being forced to choose a wife? Anyhow, the answer was yes and to the devoted addicts of the soon-to-be King Trunks that was all that really mattered.

Bra yelled as a haughty brunette pushed her to the side.

"I just got here. Is the news true?" She asked to no one in particular. Bra growled.

'That's what all the flyers around town say, you ditz,' she thought with frustration. But being princess of the land and sister to Trunks, she knew how to compose herself.

"Yes, it's true," She answered to the girl, seeing that no one else would bother.

"Hmm…I don't suppose _you're_ going, are you?" The brown-haired girl asked with much pomposity.

"You'd be surprised," Bra muttered through gritted teeth and shoved the rude girl out of her way, once again forcing herself through the crowd. She didn't know how much longer she could take it. Hearing cries of how perfect her brother was was rather sickening.

Finally, she reached the gate and lowered her scarf just enough for the guard to see. The gate was slightly opened and she quickly slipped in, jumping as they slammed shut right after her. They had to be careful. Who knows what could happen if there was a crazy, possessed girl in, or even near, the castle? That was better left unanswered.

Finally, she freed herself from the dusty cloaks and scarves, mindlessly throwing them onto the ground. She had to admit that she was shocked that there would be so many girls coming to the banquet. Although her brother was popular and all, she didn't even know that there were this many girls in their kingdom. And Bra was aware of the fact that large amounts of women from other kingdoms would be attending so…that's a lot of girls…

She shook her head. Of course, she would be rooting for Pan all the way, but for now, it seemed pretty hopeless. Not only would there be lots of pretty, nice girls, there would be tons of posers. And to make matters worse, Pan was forbidden to even enter the castle grounds. A forbidden love, thought Bra sadly as she finally reached her room.

Dropping down on the bed, Bra racked her head for ideas. Previously, she had told Pan that she had a good plan, but that was only to give comfort to the distressed girl. But after seeing all those eager and potential ladies, the situation had become so much more clear in her mind and she knew that if she didn't have at least once back-up strategy, all would be doomed for Trunks and Pan.

'Now, I have to find a way for Pan to get in without anyone knowing…Including Trunks,' She determined. 'He's an terrible actor.' 

How could she devise such a clever plot? It would be hard. Sighing in defeat, she decided to relax for right now. She had a whole other day to think this over. Bra leaned back and pulled out a novel she was currently reading, "The Masquerade". It was good- a mystery story. So far, she was only on chapter 3, but…

"That's it!" Bra yelled in delight.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"A masquerade?" Pan asked happily. "Bra, that's genius!"

Bra giggled proudly. "I know. And the idea was right in front of my nose for the past week."

"Hmm…so your father actually agreed to this?"

"Well, it was hard. I spent about an hour persuading him that this would be interesting and cultural, but he thought otherwise. If he wasn't so busy with work and if I wasn't so annoying, it would have been impossible! But on the bright side, my mother thinks it's a great idea." Pan laughed.

"That's good I guess…So, you said, Trunks doesn't know about this?"

"Nope, if he knew it would be way too obvious. Besides, I think it will make it more interesting."

"Speak for yourself," Pan disagreed, sticking her tongue out. "But what if he doesn't pick me?"

"Let's not get too crazy here, Pan. He loves you! You're all he thinks about!"

"But still…"

"Look, if things get that desperate, we'll tell him. But don't worry. He'll pick you for sure." Pan nodded, but she still looked worried.

"Anyway," Bra held up a big bag. "I have all the things you need in here. The ball starts in five hours, but I need to be back in three. Until then…Heheheh…I have plenty of time to give you a makeover…" Pan gulped. Here we go again…

A/N- Did anyone see that coming? It was kind of obvious…or maybe it just is to me because this is my story. ^_^; Anyway, cookies to everyone. 

Uggh, do you know how annoyed I am right now? I have AOL. And of course, AOL has *insert dramatic music* parental controls! It's so sad; every single time I upload a story, I have to sneak onto my older brother's account. (He's only one year older than me and has no parental controls! Grrr…) I can't even look at my own story "Tangled" and so far that doesn't even have one curse word! Grrr…. "Tangled" by the way, is my new story! ^_^ I think chapter one's pretty good, but I'm not sure. Read it! Review! Vote for the couples! Anything to make me feel special. ^_^ Hehe…sooooooo….

Parron-de-gekke-meid- Well, now you know what Bra's plan is, sooooo I have a question for you. When are you going to review your truth and dare story?! I'm sorry, but I love that story!!! Update soon! Please! *Ahem* Thanks for the review. ^_^

Juunanagou4ever- Awww…I made you sniffle. Maybe I'm being too harsh to my characters? Anyway, take a cookie. See, this was a good chapter. Happy, happy. ^_^

AnimeFreak- TrunksPan- luver4evr- Well…I finally did! Hope you liked this chappie.

FireDragon- Let's hope M-chan is in a good enough mood so that she won't take it out on the characters.

Me- I have to stop making those cliffies. ^_^;

son gomay vidal goku- Hehe, you seem to know what's going to happen better than me.

Sam- I feel sorry for your brother. ^_^;

Heather Tsouki- Thank you!

Goten's Gaurdian Angel- I'm pretty sure I'll make this plan work, but you can't be sure just yet. In the meantime, review and make me happy. ^_^

Pia Bartolini- Thanks! -^.^-

Granny Adams- Lol. Love the quote.

RyuichiFanGurl- Here's more. Thanks for the crazy review. ^_^

Animechick- I updated. Happy? Good. Happy is good.

Princess of Light- Yikes, a death threat. Maybe that'll motivate me? We'll see. Thanks for the review. ^_^

Bluedreamer- I seem to be making a lot of short chapters lately. ^_^; 

Miko-chan- Thank you, thank you!

Akuryou- Short cliffies are my specialty. ^.^

Lady Tomboy- Thank you. You know, I just realized that this list is probably longer than my chapter. ^_^;

Chibi Tensai, Cataclysmic, and chibigoten124/SSJ3MysticPan- Thank you! ^_^ ^_^ ^_^


	20. Chapter 20

"Sooooooo? What do you think, Goten?" Goten tilted his head to the side, squinted his eyes, and shrugged.

"She looks the same to me."

"What are you talking about?" Bra retorted. "There's a big difference!"

"Oh, well…I still say she looks the same."

"Men…Anyway, Pan, what do you think of your appearance?" Pan looked at herself in the mirror and smiled approvingly. 

"I think it looks good. Once again, you did a great job!" 

Bra flushed gratefully, but she knew it was true. Pan did look really pretty. This time she wore a thin-strapped, silken dress that was a deep, rich red in color and flowed down to her high-heeled sandals (that were incredibly annoying to walk in). A thin scarf elegantly decorated her shoulders, trailing down to about her waist. Stunning gold bracelets adorned her slender wrists and her hair, which was slightly waved at the ends, simply trailed down her back.

"It must be nice to be able to dress so beautifully everyday," Pan sighed wistfully. 

"Pretty soon you may be able to," Bra giggled as her companion blushed. "Oh, I almost forgot!" She pulled a small mask out of her pocket. Thin and delicate, it perfectly matched the dress and the golden fringe and sequins that were sprinkled across it added a sophisticated touch. 

"Ooh, it's pretty." Goten said, softly poking it. Pan placed it on her face and Bra clapped her hands in delight.

"It's perfect! You look so good, Pan. I'm starting to look forward to tonight. Well, I'll have to be going, but I'll see you there. Bye Goten, I'll try to visit soon." Throwing a kiss to Goten and a wave to Pan, she let herself out of the door.

"Bye, Bra" The two simultaneously chimed.

Only two hours until the ball, this would be an interesting night.

`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`

"Where the heck have you been?" Trunks asked his sister while nervously pacing back and forth.

"Out. Since when is that so wrong?"

"The ball starts really soon! Lots of women are already here! And not only that, but…I want to talk to you about…you know, Pan."

"Oh, I see. Okay, so what's wrong?" Trunks stared at his sister with disbelief.

"What do you mean 'what is wrong?'? _Everything _is wrong! I don't feel comfortable doing this. Tonight I have to choose someone to spend the rest of my life with and knowing that it's not Pan is tearing me apart! I could never forget about her! And she'll never forgive me; she'll hate me! She-"

"-Won't hate you!" Bra interrupted. "Trunks…she is head over heels for you. She loves you more than anyone and you know that for a fact. Your love was meant to be and nothing will change that. The powerful bond that the two of you share will eventually find a way past our father's anger and any other obstacles standing in your way. Don't worry so much…it'll be okay." Trunks stood in silence, slowly absorbing his sibling's wise words.

"But…what about the ball?"

"What about it? Just go and have fun! Half of them only care about your looks anyway." Trunks laughed.

"That's true. Okay, I'll take your word for it and believe in my love for Pan. I just wish I could see her again."

"Yea, well, I better go. Good luck."

"Thanks. Oh, and Bra?"

"Yea?" She asked, turning to face him.

"Your not such a bad sister after all," He remarked playfully. Bra smiled and ran off, giddy about knowing something her brother didn't.

`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`

Pan's stomach was in dreadful knots and twist and for once, she knew that it was not Goten's terrible cooking causing her such anguish. She stiffly walked past the guards, breathing in relief that they did not question her about anything, and she entered the large ballroom once again. It had obviously been redecorated, but maybe for the better. It was dimmer than before, but the beautiful chandeliers could still be seen hanging from the ceiling. The floor was now made of pure marble, or so it seemed, with rugs and furniture scattered about to give a more comfortable look to the large room, not to mention that they would need something to sit upon. The walls were ornate with large tapestries and paintings and all in all it was a romantic setting, especially with the soft music.

"Wow, there are a _lot _of girls here," She muttered to herself and it was true. Everywhere she turned she saw puffy hair, pretty dresses, and concealed faces that were most likely beautiful underneath. Making sure her mask was still on, she decided to go to the balcony for a little air.

`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`

Trunks cautiously walked down, trying to shield himself from the large mob of women, but it was too late.

"Oh! There's Prince Trunks!" Someone cried, pointing towards the staircase where he helplessly stood.

"Oh, great, no place to hide, no place to hide!" He yelped as women rushed over to him. This was crazy! All he could here was girls calling him. Trunks swiftly moved past them, wanting some air to breathe. 

"No, don't leave Prince Trunks, stay awhile!" A voice yelled and now he was surrounded with voices shouting 'Don't go, Your Majesty', 'Stay here, Prince Trunks!' and his favorite, 'I NEED YOU, MASTER!'. Forgetting all his manners, he ran towards the balcony, which was conveniently located on the other side of the room, _away_ from these animals.

Sighing in relief, he stopped, knowing very well that it would take a while for them to find him. He loosened his jacket and was about to sit down when something, or rather someone, caught his eye. A girl in a red dress stood unaccompanied, staring up at the stars. Intently looking at her back, he was surprised to find himself moving closer and closer. He was now about a foot away from her, and he gazed at her long, dark hair. It was so beautiful and familiar. His hand softly reached out to stroke it and he felt her jerk in alarm and whirl around in shock. But her face, or what he could see of it, broke out into a smile.

"Trunks!" Pan exclaimed happily, before mentally kicking herself for forgetting to disguise her voice. But it didn't really matter because Trunks was so impressed with the informality of the girl and the way she didn't fling herself at him that he failed to notice.

"Hi…I'm Trunks." He stuttered, but then realized she already knew his name and he had just sounded like an idiot. She giggled.

"Hi, Trunks. I'm…" Oh shit! She had forgotten to make up a name for herself! "I'm…err…" Trunks raised an eyebrow.

"I'm Videl," She finally answered, praying that she had never mentioned her parents' names to him.

"Videl? That's an unusual name." But it sounds so familiar, he added to himself.

"Yea? Well, so is Trunks." She retorted without hesitation. Trunks smiled. He was going to like this girl.

A/N- It's late and I'm tired…*yawn*. So, things are getting interesting, huh? This is becoming more and more fun to write, but unfortunately the next chapter will probably be the last. I should be getting it out soon though since I have this whole week off for spring break ^_^. I will probably be updating my other stories, too (Finally). Anyway, please tell me what you thought of this chapter and cookies to all reviewers. See ya!


	21. Chapter 21

Pan and Trunks had been chatting happily for a good while, making each other laugh with ruthless insults. It was nice to actually get to _know _Trunks. Because, as she recalled, their first acquaintance was rather abrupt and with all of the things going on around them, they never really had time to talk. But now they had all the time in the world, and it seemed that Trunks displayed a different side of himself to 'Videl'. Pan enjoyed how laid-back he was right now, like he wasn't stressed out about anything at all. 

But as one side of her enjoyed the attention, the other half was wondering, _Umm, what is happening here? Don't you miss the real me at all?_

No, he seemed perfectly content with 'Videl' here. If he worried at all about Pan, he definitely did not let on, and of course, this stirred up anger in Pan's crushed heart. But it wasn't really fair of her to be mad at Trunks, now was it? After all, here she was, _lying _to him and pretending to be someone else, while he was just being friendly like his princely duties required him to do. So, Pan was pretty mixed up at this moment.

It was funny how much their conversation varied. One moment they would be talking about the future, the next minute about cheese. Everything was enjoyable though and they had a very nice time out on the balcony. 

Of course, it didn't last long, because- as Pan had lately noticed- whenever something pleasant happened to her, it was always rudely interrupted. In this case, exceptionally rudely…well, not really, but Pan's feelings of jealousy (more silly emotions to deal with!) must have been taking over.

The reason being? A girl in a beautiful black dress had very gracefully glided out. She was very tall and very willowy. Pan herself had always wished to be willowy, instead of being so short and dumpy, so that just contributed to the reasons why she should hate this girl even more. 

Her hands were shyly clasped behind her and she looked viciously innocent with her golden curls and bubblegum-colored lips. 

Trunks took notice of her, finally, and motioned to the extra chair.

"Care to join our conversation?" The girl's creamy cheeks, Pan noted, were rapidly turning red and her lips curled into an excited smile. 

"Oh, yes, of course, Your Majesty!" She smoothed her long skirt and lightly sat down. 

"Just Trunks, please. I hate being formal." Pan's, or rather Videl's, mouth had flown open at this remark. Had he not said the very exact thing to her when they had first met? She had considered it special, but obviously he said this to every female he came across. Most females at any rate, she decided, thinking about the crazy women in the palace who were still in search for their…'Master'.

"Oh, beg pardon. Ah, silly me, I've forgotten to introduce myself," Her hand covered her mouth as she giggled nervously. "Name's Katrina. Nice to meet you." Trunks grinned amiably.

"Likewise. So where are you from?" And the two of them lunged into a spectacular conversation. Katrina lost her ditzy demeanor somewhere along the line, and Pan sat astonished as the two talked about such intellectual topics. New laws and why they were good/bad, the neighboring kingdom and whether or not they would be going to war. Every now and then they would leap into small debates in which Katrina was always able to remarkably support her opinions, and even Trunks looked impressed. 

Pan, who was pretty much forgotten, wondered why she never even thought about these sort of things. Of course, it wasn't really her fault, being raised in such a poor town, she never got a _real _education. But…in order to be a queen, she would most certainly need a proper education. After all, ruling the kingdom isn't as easy as she liked to imagine and what would happen if Pan was the new Queen and had to discuss such things with Trunks. She would be totally lost, that's what. Trunks needed a smart wife, right? Not someone like herself…

Perhaps, she wasn't good enough for him…

Constantly, she would do this, compare herself with others. But Trunks deserved the best and she still couldn't figure out why he had picked _her._

Pan shook her head and rose from her seat. They didn't notice her. She slipped back into the palace and placed herself onto a plush couch. She gave a wry laugh as she noticed all of the women walking around and bumping into each other, searching for Trunks and calling out his name as one would do to a lost puppy. Surely some girl here was smart enough to notice the large glass doors on the other side of the room. Obviously not…

Now, what to do? Bra made all these stupid plans sound so easy, but they just never seemed to go right. Why couldn't she just confess that she was Pan? Then, he would know that she was his true love, and they could get married. Of course, it wouldn't go that easily, but…something like that. 

But she knew why she couldn't tell him her true identity. It'd be way too obvious. After all, if Trunks spent the _entire _evening with one girl who looked somewhat like Pan, what would Vegeta think? True, they had spent a good forty minutes with each other but that wasn't so long. If he really knew that this was _her_, he would stick by her side the whole time, ignoring every other female. Ignoring Katrina, too, perhaps…

Pan sighed, clenching and unclenching her fists. What would she do? Go over there and fight for her man. Yes, that seemed like a good plan. She couldn't give up so easy. She was a quick learner, with the proper education, she would be miles ahead of Katrina in her studies. Just because Katrina came from a rich family. But Pan bet that she didn't know how to cook, or clean, or farm, or sew, or anything useful. What would Katrina do in a time of crisis? Probably sit down and whine…

Her eyes flashing resolutely behind her small mask, she got up from the chair, pushing away anyone who got in her way. A quick flash of blue caught her eye, and looking to the side, she was not very surprised to see Bra in the corner, giving her a huge grin and a thumb-up. Pan smiled back and that simple greeting filled her with so much courage, she knew that she would have to thank Bra later on. Quite optimistic at this point, she reached the large, glass door and was starting to push it aside when she noticed something. 

And suddenly her optimism diminished.

A/N- Cliffy! Hehe, sorry, couldn't resist. Anyway, I thought that this would be the last chapter and I think I may have even said so, but I wanted to make it a little longer so I changed my original plan. But next chapter should be the last one (don't I always say that?).

As for the late update, sooooooooooo sorry. I've found a new obsession and I've been more interested in that lately; actually, I realized that I don't even like DBZ anymore (gasp!). Don't worry though, I will always be a T/P fan. ^_~

Thanks for being so patient, ya'll are awesome! Not one person yelled at me. ^-^ I'll try to work on my other stories while I'm at it, but I can't promise anything so I hope this chapter satisfies you for now. Bye bye! 


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